Raccoon corpse and racist message left for Oregon city officials trigger investigation

Police have opened a hate crime investigation after someone targeted city officials in Redmond, Oregon, with a threatening racist message left with a dead raccoon, reported The Oregonian on Tuesday.

The gruesome display was first discovered by Mayor Ed Fitch, to whom the message was partially addressed.

"The Redmond Police Department said in a press release that the sign mentioned Fitch and Councilor Clifford Evelyn by name. Police provided a photo but intentionally blurred what the sign says 'to maintain the integrity of the investigation,' said Heather Cassaro, a city spokeswoman," reported Bryce Dole.

“I feel bad for Clifford," said Fitch in a statement on Monday. "It seems there’s some people in town that can’t accept the fact that Clifford is Black and is on the City Council."

Racist threats and attacks have gained national attention all over the country in recent years — and political officeholders are not immune from becoming targets themselves.

In 2019, Tonga Turner, the first Black woman to serve as mayor of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, stepped down while detailing a deluge of racist abuse and threats against her, including slur-filled voicemails and her tires being slashed, and even a former town commissioner doodling swastikas right in the meeting where she was describing the attacks. And last year, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) was harassed by a neighbor who drove past her house multiple times shouting "go back to India" and threatening to kill her.