An MLK Jr. Statue Was Vandalized With Graffiti, Prompting A Hate Crime Investigation

https://www.npr.org/2021/07/07/ [login to see] /an-mlk-jr-statue-was-vandalized-with-graffiti-prompting-a-hate-crime-investigati
Police in Long Beach, Calif., have opened a hate crime investigation after discovering that a local statute of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. had been vandalized with racist graffiti.

The Long Beach Police Department rushed to Martin Luther King Jr. Park at around 3 p.m. Friday after receiving reports of "hate/bias-motivated vandalism," police spokesperson Brandon Fahey told NPR.

They found that the front of the King statue had been vandalized with spray paint, which workers from the parks and recreation department were working to scrub clean. The graffiti has since been removed, and the department is investigating the matter as a hate crime.

Police would not confirm the nature of the graffiti, citing an ongoing investigation, but photos on social media show a black swastika spray-painted on the statue's center. Other Nazi-related symbols were painted on the statue's legs.

Police do not have a suspect in custody, the department told NPR, but said in a statement they are committed to bringing the culprit to justice.