Morgan Hill resident John Clark claims his family is the victim
of a hate crime
Morgan Hill – Everything changed for John Clark on Sunday, Aug. 26.
The 48-year-old father of three, who lives in the affluent Jackson Oaks neighborhood in the hills of Morgan Hill, was startled by what he saw in his front yard at around 8:30am.
He discovered a raccoon that had been killed and gutted. It appeared to Clark that the animal’s intestines had been placed in a deliberate shape. Blood was smeared on three spots along the walkway leading up to his front door.
The incident
Clark, who is white, said the raccoon and the intestines shaped like the letter “u” were designed to insult his wife, 29, and brother-in-law, 26, who are of African ancestry, or to comment on the interracial marriage. He believes the perpetrator of the crime meant to write the racial slur “you coons.”
He also believes the alleged crime should be considered a death threat because to him the animal symbolically represents a person of African ancestry.
Clark said there have been no other such incidents in the neighborhood.
“This has profoundly affected me,” he said. “I still find it impossible to touch on the subject without an almost overwhelming cacophony of emotion. There is no where to point my anger.”
Upset with police
Clark doesn’t feel the Morgan Hill Police Department investigated the alleged incident properly, though a report was taken on the incident about an hour after it was reported. The incident’s classification, however, was changed from an animal incident to a criminal investigation the next day, upon Clark’s request.
“My experiences in drawing attention to this crime, or even my efforts to have it labeled as a crime, have left me incredulous to say the least,” wrote Clark in an e-mail sent to Rob Redding, who runs an African-American-owned Web site that addresses racial discrimination, www.emergingminds.org. Clark has not heard from Redding yet.
“Here I am the exact cohort that is supposed to have access to the system. Well, I’m here to tell you, access is afforded only those that want the right thing from the system. What I found was nothing short of appalling. It appears that the people of northern California feel that bigotry and racism have been solved, so when it happens they don’t have to see it.”
According to Clark, his wife was refused a visit by local police after initially making the report of the incident. Clark said she was also told, “things like this don’t happen in Morgan Hill.” That’s when Clark intervened and called 911. He said he was told the incident did not constitute an emergency and was told to call the MHPD business line.
police reaction
Morgan Hill police Sgt. David Swing said the dispatcher who took the call from Clark’s wife initially thought that she was calling to have a dead animal removed from her front yard. After the call, Swing said, the dispatcher had concerns and talked with the watch commander, who decided an officer should respond, just before Clark himself called.
Swing, who reviewed the dispatch tapes of the calls, said Clark’s wife asked the dispatcher if she’d ever seen a hate crime, and the dispatcher told her that Morgan Hill doesn’t have many hate crimes.
“We take all reported hate crimes seriously, and we investigate all of them to the fullest extent possible. It is important to note that the most recent hate crime incident we had, the Peralta/Agriesti case, is an example of the importance that the department places on these cases.”
safety concerns
Clark is worried about the safety of his family, a 13-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son from his first marriage, and a 1-year-old with his current wife.
“We were all startled and afraid,” he said. “We were looking for support from the police. We were in denial that this could be happening to us.”
Swing said investigators have not determined whether the incident was a hate crime or not.
The MHPD’s Animal Control officer Daniel Pina looked at photos taken of the scene, and said he did not believe that a mountain lion or a cougar killed the raccoon, according to Swing, but the investigation into the incident has stalled.
“This is a very real incident to (the Clarks), they are not feeling secure in their own house, which is something that we as a department look at as a goal, to help Morgan Hill residents to feel secure, within reason,” Swing said. “We conducted a thorough investigation, we talked with the neighbors, Daniel Pina is not aware of any similar incidents … but we have come to a standstill, and therefore we would appreciate anyone in the community who may know something about this incident to contact the police department.”
others respond
Delorma McKee-Stovall, coordinator with the Network for a Hate-Free Community, said she has no doubt that the incident qualifies as a “hate crime.”
“One incident is enough,” McKee-Stovall said. “One of the things we always look at is if there is some member of a protected class residing in the home who might be a target. Someone who is easily identifiable as a member of that protected class. In this case, we clearly have that. And the fact that an animal was used, that is very common as well. Animals are often used as messengers of hate violence. You see the hanging of dead birds, dead rats, all kinds of dead animals. As soon as he told me the story, I knew this was a hate crime.”
She said the Department of Justice has been contacted about the incident. The Times contacted the Department of Justice’s community relations service western regional office, but a representative there declined comments and referred all inquiries to the agency’s Washington, D.C. office. Phone messages were left on the office voicemail system, but no one from the office returned The Times’ calls.
The Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office was unaware of Clark’s case.
One concern is that if the perpetrator strikes again, the threat might escalate, according to McKee-Stovall.
Clark said he intends to pursue the case until someone is arrested.
“I plan to prosecute them for making a death threat and for whatever else they can be charged with,” Clark said. “This is just outrageous.”
Clark is studying to become a doctor of clinical psychology at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto.
His studies in clinical psychology give him insight into certain characteristics of a likely suspect, he said.
“This was a real clandestine action, and I think it is unlikely to become an overt physical confrontation,” he said. “It shows a high level of organization and innovation, and I think whoever did this is extremely dangerous. I’m going to be escalating this and escalating it hard. If I can, I’m going to put someone in prison.”
Since the incident happened Clark has hired a security guard who monitors his property throughout the night. He’s spending $180 a day to maintain the safety of his home.
In August, a hate crime occurred just north of Morgan hill as a Santa Clara Sikh was stabbed in broad daylight. Santa Clara police arrested Everett Thompson, 20, of Santa Clara. He was booked into Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder and a hate crime.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at md****@mo*************.com.
