A black man painted racist graffiti on his own car parked near Kansas State University, police determined.
Dauntarius Williams, 21, told investigators he painted racial slurs on his own car and reported it to police, but officials will not charge him for filing a false police report. In a press release, Williams said he regrets his actions, calling the graffiti a “Halloween prank that got out of hand.”
“I wish I could go back to that night but I can’t,” the release reads. “I just want to apologize from the bottom of my heart for the pain and news I have brought you all.”
Students on campus hosted a meeting to talk about racism on campus after Williams called newspapers saying his car had been painted with racist slurs while parked near campus. K-State officials told media Williams wasn’t a student, a response which garnered its own backlash, as some in the K-State community said school officials were blaming the victim.
After the report, the president of the Black Student Union told the Associated Press that minority students generally do not feel safe on campus. Kansas State University police stepped up safety patrols and considered adding more security cameras. The FBI investigated the fraud as a hate crime.
For the second time in about a month’s time span, university president Richard Myer offered words suggesting racism is alive and well on K-State’s campus. In an online statement, he said, “Those who wish us harm should not be allowed to create a culture of fear and divisiveness. As I hear from student leadership following this incident, your message is clear: We need to ensure the safety of those affected by this attack.”
In early October, Myers condemned reported vandalism to a Jewish sukkuh, a temporary religious dwelling built on campus by a Jewish student group.
“I want to emphasize how deeply concerned the K-State family is about this incident,” Myers said. “There is no place in our community for hateful, criminal reactions to religious expression. Many who live or work on our campuses, particularly those of the Jewish community, are experiencing significant pain and fear as a result of this act.”
The car vandal was a hoax. Police determined the sukkoh was damaged by wind. Once again, K-State has egg on its face.
Law enforcement officials said in a release that filing charges against Williams would not be in the best interests of the community.
“While Williams’ mistake had a decidedly negative impact on the community, please recognize that he, like many of us when we were young, is a young man who made a mistake and is now doing his best to own up to it,” Riley County Police Department Director Brad Shoen said.
