Redding man is facing hate crime charge after hitting a black man with his car Sunday morning

A Redding man is facing a hate crime charge after police say he intentionally hit an African American man with his car Sunday morning.

Zackary Miller, 23, struck the victim when the man attempted to confront Miller for hitting his parked car moments earlier, according to a Redding Police Department news release.

Just after 11 a.m., police say the victim was sitting in his vehicle on Saginaw Street when Miller, driving a silver passenger vehicle, hit the man’s side-view mirror as he passed by.

The victim confronted Miller after he had parked his vehicle near a blue Pontiac, police said. Occupants in both vehicles began calling the victim racial slurs and accused him of trying to get money from them, according to the news release.

Miller then backed up at a fast pace and struck the victim, throwing the man to the ground and breaking his cell phone before fleeing southbound on C Street, police said.

The occupants of the Pontiac continued to call the victim racial slurs before also backing up quickly and striking the man with their vehicle, once again knocking him to the ground, police said. The Pontiac then fled the scene as well.

Before being hit, the victim was able to get a photo of the license plate of the silver passenger vehicle, police said. It is unclear whether the vehicle belonged to Miller, but police were later able to identify Miller as the driver at the time of the incident.

Officers learned that Miller, who was on Post Release Community Supervision for possession of a concealed dagger and had two active felony warrants for his arrest, was staying at a house known for criminal activity. Police went there to conduct a probation search later that afternoon, police said.

Redding police, with the help of CHP Air Operations Division, surrounded the house just after 4:30 p.m. and ultimately detained 14 people without incident, including Miller, the release said.

During the search, one subject was observed throwing items onto the roof of the house, according to the release. Those items were later identified as bags of methamphetamine, police said. Several other bags were also found inside the house.

Miller is facing multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, a hate crime enhancement and possession of illegal drugs for sale, police said. Four other people arrested at the house were also found to have warrants out for their arrests.

It was not disclosed whether police have identified the occupants of the blue Pontiac.

This story was originally published March 11, 2019 at 8:10 AM.