A Portland man faces bias crime charges for an explosive outburst and attack against some Black, Asian, and Hispanic employees and customers at a McDonald’s last month.
Police charged 35-year-old Ethan Russel Leers with four counts of misdemeanor bias crimes and harassment and one count of disorderly conduct following an altercation on March 18.
Court documents cited by KATU say a Hispanic man told police that a Leers approached him outside the restaurant and asked him to do 100 burpees. Then, Leers allegedly started screaming at the victim, called him a “rapist” and accused him of “taking jobs.”
Video footage showed Leers inside the fast food joint a short time later, yelling racial slurs and pushing people.
A Black McDonald’s employee told police that Leers smacked an Asian customer in the back of the head and shoved a Hispanic man into a wall.
When the worker intervened, Leers allegedly screamed a racial slur.
Even after police were called and Leers was arrested, the 35-year-old allegedly continued yelling racial slurs.
He also reportedly told an officer he “better have guns at home” because he was “going to find him down and fight him one on one,” according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by The Oregonian.
Leers also allegedly told the officer that he wasn’t doing anything and that the cop “should understand because he’s white-white.”
Leers faces a separate bias crime case stemming from another altercation last summer.
A homeowner told police she heard Leers yelling racial slurs at her neighbor, banging on the neighbor’s front door, and then throwing rocks at a window and breaking it.
Leers also reportedly ran inside her home, stole a purse and a mop, then broke into her car.
In that case, he faces charges of bias crime, criminal mischief, theft, and unlawful entry into a motor vehicle.
He pleaded not guilty to both cases.
Leers has a lengthy criminal history, including 11 misdemeanor and five felony convictions.
