Portland Hate Crime: Heroes Honored As The City Searches For Answers

PORTLAND, OR — Three men were stabbed Friday, two of them fatally, as they tried to de-escalate a situation involving a man who was yelling racial slurs at two young, apparently Muslim, women, police said.

Jeremy Joseph Christian, 35, has been arrested and charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and other crimes. Christian is being held at the Multnomah County Jail without bail. He's accused of stabbing three men, killing two of them. He is also charged with intimidation under the Oregon hate crime statute.

The deadly stabbings took place on Friday, the start of the Muslim month of fasting known as Ramadan. Just after 4 p.m. on Friday, according to witnesses, a man on an eastbound MAX train was ranting and screaming hate speech directed at a variety of ethnicities and religions.

The man, identified as Christian, turned his vitriol toward two young women - one of whom was wearing a hijab - and people tried to intervene and get the man to calm down, police said. He then turned on three of them, stabbing them repeatedly, police said.

THE INCIDENT

Dyjuana Hudson tells Patch the young women were her daughter Destinee who is 16 and a friend of hers, a 17-year-old who is Muslim and wearing a hijab.

"This random white guy sits down and he starts talking and ranting about how he feels that Christians should die and Muslims should die," she says. "He comes running up on them and two guys stood up for them.

"To know that those guys put their lives on the line for my girls is really sickening," Hudson says.

Christian stabbed each of the men in the neck.

Hudson says her daughter and her friend were coming home from school when the attack happened. Once the train stopped, they ran - so quickly that they left their purses on the train - and called her, telling her, though sobs, what had happened.

She raced to the station and they called police.

She says her daughter is not doing well, knowing that two men gave their lives to protect her.

"It is a lot for her," says Hudson.

THE ARREST

As the train pulled into the Hollywood Transit Center, Christian fled toward Providence Hospital but was quickly apprehended.

The arrest was captured on video by Larry Blackwood, who had been on the train and gave chase to help make sure Christian did not get away. He posted it to his Facebook page. Watch the video but CAUTION - there is graphic language.

THE GOOD SAMARITANS

One of the good Samaritans died at the scene and another died at the hospital. The third man is expected to survive.

Police identified those who were killed as 23-year-old Taelisin Myrddin Namkai-Meche of Southeast Portland and 53-year-old Ricky John Best of Happy Valley.

Also stabbed was 21-year-old Micah David Cole Fletcher of Southeast Portland. He remains in the hospital being treated for what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries.

REED GRADUATE

Namkai-Meche's mother praised her son.

"He was a hero and will remain a hero on the other side of the veil," says Asha Deliverance. "Shining bright star I love you forever."

Nankai-Meche graduated from Reed College last year with a degree in economics. He was working for the Cadmus Group, a technology and consulting company based in Massachusetts. He worked on environmental consulting.

Reed College released a statement calling the incident "shocking and horrific" and offering memories of Nankai-Meche.

"I remember where he sat in conference and the types of probing, intelligent questions I could anticipate him asking," said Professor Kambiz GhaneaBassiri.

"He was thoughtful, smart, humble, inquisitive, and compassionate.

"Now he is a hero to me."

Hudson said she reached out to Deliverance offering thanks and saying that if she needed anything to reach out.

He died at the hospital.

AN ARMY VETERAN

The other person killed - Ricky Best - is a 23-year veteran of the U.S. Army who retired in 2012 as a sergeant. He then went to work for the city of Portland and has been a supervisor with the Bureau of Development Services.

He was on his way home to Happy Valley after work. He died on the train as Christian fled the scene.

Best, who has four children, ran for Clackamas County Commission in 2014.

"He provided distinguished services to the residents of Portland," said Mayor Wheeler.

City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly said that the city's human resources department wil make sure there are counselors available for BDS employees when they return to work on Tuesday.

"My heart goes out to the family of Rick Best," Eudaly said. "They have lost a husband and a father, and we have lost a treasured employee.

"As a veteran, he served our country with honor and distinction. He stood up for two young women and others he didn't even know - all because he wanted to help."

THE POET

Micah David-Cole Fletcher, 21, is the third stabbing victim. He is expected to survive. Fletcher - who was on his way to his job at a pizza place - is a student at Portland State University and graduated from Madison High School.

He was stabbed in the neck with such force that his jaw was broken and there were pieces of bone in his throat.

He is expected to recover.

In 2013, he won first place in the annual Verselandia poetry slam contest. One of his poems is about the discrimination that Muslims face. You can watch video of him at Verselandia below. He performs twice - at 2:03 and at 2:32.

HELP FOR THE FAMILIES

Portland restaurant owner Nick Zukin - of Mi Mero Mole and Kenny and Zuke's - has started a GoFundMe page to help the families of the heroes.

"They are heroes, yet their families are not only going to be faced with the pain of losing people they love, but with financial hardships from their passings," says Zukin. "Hopefully the goal is just a starting point.

"They will certainly need more than this. And no amount of money will ever lessen their heartbreak."

In 24 hours, the campaign had raised $201,210 from 4,270 people.

A campaign has also been set up to help Fletcher pay his medical bills. In 22 hours, 2,082 people had contributed $70,259.

Meanwhile, a separate campaign has been started to raise money for the two teens who were the target of Christian's vitriol.

FBI ASSISTANCE

The FBI's Portland Office said it's helping the Portland Police with the investigation.

"Portland Police is the lead investigative agency and we are honored to support their investigation in any way we can," said Loren Cannon, special agent-in-charge of the FBI's Portland office. "It's too early to say whether last night's violence was an act of domestic terrorism or a federal hate crime.

"However, in the coming days, the FBI, PPB and the prosecutors will work together to share information, leverage resources and make determinations about future criminal charges. We won't allow these acts to go unanswered."

THE SUSPECT

Christian is expected to appear in court on Tuesday.

He has a criminal record that includes felony convictions for robbery and kidnapping.

In November 2002, he was convicted of robbery, kidnapping, and carrying or using a dangerous weapon.

The charges stemmed from an incident in May of that year in which he robbed a market in North Portland, handcuffing the owner and stealing cash. Christian was shot in the cheek by an officer as he fled.

The Portland Mercury's Doug Brown, who closely tracks the white supremacist movement in the region, reports that "Christian is a known right wing extremist and white supremacist" who showed up at a free speech march last month with a baseball bat and tried to assault "left wing protesters."

Brown reports that he yelled racial slurs and frequently gave the Nazi salute.

Christian was captured on video doing just that by reporter Mike Bivins.

As Brown first pointed out, Christian writes posts on his Facebook page that include anti-Semitic and other comments.

He has also praised Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh as a "patriot," threatened violence against people, and declared, "I AM TROUBLE."

In another post with the hashtag #BalkanizetheUSA, he advocated for the Pacific Northwest to be made into a Whites-only homeland.

"So, its like this. If you support Israel for Zionist homeland for Jews then you should also support Cascadia as a White homeland for whites only racists, Alabama and Mississippi for Nation of Islam and racist Black Power groups and give back at least so cal [Southern California] to Mexicans for all the illegal Latinos and any Brown racist peeps," he wrote.

Christian is listed as living in North Portland in a home owned by his parents.

CITY LEADERS REACT

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler had been on the inaugural flight from Portland to London when the attack happened. Once he arrived in London, he boarded the next flight back.

Wheeler then joined other city leaders and law enforcement officials for an afternoon press conference.

"They were attacked because they did the right thing," Wheeler said. "Their actions were brave and selfless and should serve as an example and inspiration to us all. They are heroes."

U.S. Attorney Billy Williams vowed "There is a day of reckoning coming. There will be a day of accountability."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is asking President Trump to denounce the attack.

"President Trump must speak out personally against the rising tide of Islamophobia and other forms of bigotry and racism in our nation that he has provoked through his numerous statements, policies and appointments that have negatively impacted minority communities," said CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad.

"Only a strong statement from the nation's leader will send a message to bigots that such acts of violence targeting racial, ethnic or religious minorities are unacceptable."

Patch has reached out four times to the White House for comment but has yet to receive a response.

Brian Bendis, who works for Marvel Comics and lives in Portland, a few blocks from where the incident happened, said that the next issue of Spider-man will be dedicated to Best and Nankai-Meche.

TriMet General Manager Neil McFarlane also released a statement praising the men.

"These men are true heroes for coming together to the defense of strangers," he said. "In this anguishing time, let's come together with a renewed pledge to respect and care for one another as we know we should."

Portland Fire and Rescue, meanwhile, tweeted out a simple message.

THOUSANDS TURN OUT FOR VIGIL

"Your sons were champions of justice," Senator Jeff Merkely said to the mothers who lost sons on Friday.

Hundreds showed up - from an Army veteran who spoke of losing a brother in reference to Best to relatives of those killed - to honor those who were stabbed and to call for unity, to argue that the response of the good Samaritans is more representative of Portland than the racist vitriol that led to them trying to intervene.

The crowd was silent as Namkai-Meche's family spoke.

His mother said her son had a heart "as big as the world.

"We taught him to love everyone and that's what we should all be doing and that's what we should all be doing and that's why we're all here, so give it up for love."

His sister spoke of how he loved his new job and his girlfriend and how they wanted to make babies and start a family."

At one point, things took a nasty turn. A speaker started attacking Mayor Wheeler, claiming he's not done enough to stop fascism.

That led to screams and curses directed toward Wheeler. At which he point, he left the area where the speakers were and moved to a different section.

THE INVESTIGATION CONTINUES

Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill and U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams joined Portland Police Chief Michael Marshman at the afternoon press conference. None wanted to go into detail about the investigation but all stressed the ultimate decision about whether it will be a federal or state case will be decided based on what the strongest possible outcome is.

A county grand jury is expected to start hearing evidence in the case by next Friday.

Have you been a victim to or have witnessed a hate crime? Tell your story here.

Photo of Christian - Multnomah County Sheriff's Office/Fletcher - PPS/Namkai-Meche - PSU