Woman Faces 'Hate Crime' Charge After Racial Slur Incident At Bar

EDMONDS, WA - A 45-year-old Lynnwood woman was arrested Wednesday, accused of shouting racial slurs at two black teenagers outside an Edmonds bar on Feb. 5. Police arrested the woman on a charge of malicious harassment, which is Washington's hate crime law.

The incident happened in the evening outside Harvey's Lounge along SR 99. Two black teenagers - ages 18 and 14 - were taking photos outside the bar for a school project, their mother has said. That's when they were approached by a person wielding a bat and using racial slurs.

Here's how Edmonds police described the incident:

The Lynnwood woman was arrested after inconsistencies in her version of events came to light and she was seen on the business’s surveillance video wielding a bat and yelling towards the victims. The 18-year old victim told detectives he felt that he was about to be violently assaulted when the female employee came out of the business with the bat and yelled at them to leave the property while being called a derogatory racial slur. His 14-year old sister was with him at the time.

The woman was arrested at the bar on Wednesday and taken to the Snohomish County Jail.

Edmonds police Chief Al Compaan urged anyone to report similar incidents to police.

“We recognize the emotion that these types of incidents can create and will do our part to hold any perpetrator accountable if we establish that a crime has been committed. We appreciate the ongoing support of the community in the interest of public safety," Compaan said in a statement.

This is the latest reported racially-tinged incident around Puget Sound recently. Edmonds had been hit by racist graffiti several times over the past year, and black workers at a downtown construction site reportedly found a noose at their jobsite.

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