Update (06/27 4:00 p.m.) — Ashland Police have identified a man who they believe told a woman there is a law in Oregon that would allow him to kill her because she is African American.
The Ashland Police Department contacted the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office after the incident was reported. APD released a statement on Monday saying in part, “While the Jackson county District Attorney joins the APD and the entire Ashland community in decrying this hateful speech, the determination has been made that there was no crime committed.”
Ashland, Ore. — An Oregon Shakespeare Festival company member collaborating in the “Juneteenth” performance pieces recently gained attention on social media after recounting a disturbing experience in downtown Ashland.
In a video uploaded to Christiana Clark’s Facebook page, the OSF actor currently performing in productions of “Hamlet” and “The Wiz” relates the details of a shocking June 24th encounter with a man who shouted racially charged threats at her while she was walking her dog in Ashland’s Railroad District.
In the video, Clarks says, “…and I heard him say, and I quote, ‘I could kill a black person and be out of jail in a day and a half. look it up. the kkk is alive and well here.’”
In her post, Clark describes the assailant as a white man in his late 40s to mid-50s with short blond hair, wearing a backpack and blue shirt.
As of Monday morning, the video has been view nearly 147,000 times.
OSF spokesman Eddie Wallace released a statement Saturday condemning the incident, saying OSF is planning a town hall meeting in Ashland this week to address the incident.
Ashland Police said Clark has filed a police report.
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