What began as a spat over a parking space quickly escalated into what officials are now calling a hate crime.
Punches and racial slurs flew after a parking lot dispute erupted into a physical altercation outside a building on the Santa Monica College campus on Tuesday, station KABC reported. Footage taken by a Santa Monica student Enrique Conde shows an older white man and a Black woman in an intense shouting match in the middle of the school parking lot.
It’s unclear what sparked the fight, but the woman’s car can be seen taking up more than one spot in the crowded lot.
“If someone is not parked very well, then that’s one parking spot lost,” Conde told KTLA 5. “That’s how I believe it started.”
The man is heard repeatedly hurling the N-word at the woman, telling her to “go back to South L.A.” where she belongs.
“Get outta here!” he shouts. “You’re a piece of sh-t. Now get the f—k outta here and let people move! You’re in the wrong area.”
After hurling the racial slur one too many times, the two begin swinging at each other. At one point the man kicks the woman’s leg. Neither of them was injured in the altercation.
Police were eventually called to the scene where 80-year-old Fredric Allan Shinerock was arrested and cited for misdemeanor battery on school property, according to KABC. Cops cited him at the scene and he was released.
Due to Shinerock’s repeated use of the N-word, Santa Monica College officials said the incident is being classified as a hate crime. The city’s attorney’s office is also investigating the matter.
“Santa Monica College is an institution that prides itself on inclusivity and diversity and we will continue to do our utmost to uphold our commitment to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment,” college president Kathryn E. Jeffery said in a statement. “We’ll take immediate and evident action to reinforce to our students, college community, and guests that there is no room for hate at Santa Monica College.”
Posted by Enrique Conde on Tuesday, May 1, 2018
