Man who harassed black Muslim couple cries when charged with hate crime
A man was arrested last week for anti-Muslim hate crimes and broke down in tears in court while expressing his regret for his actions.
Frederick Nolan Sorrell, 49, is accused of second-degree intimidation after hurling racial slurs at a Muslim couple in May.
He followed the couple who was on foot in his car for over 20 blocks, according to The Oregon Committee of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
CAIR said he attempted to hit the couple’s car more than once and shouted, “take off the (expletive) burka, this is America, go back to your (expletive) country.” He said this while forming a gun with his hand and pointing it at the pair.
Sorrell has made bail and pled not guilty. His next court date is in August. He has conditions on his bail such as not being able to go on Facebook where he had made several discriminatory comments.
“I never tried to run into them. I was just going to work. I never tried to follow them. I never tried to make contact with them after the fact,” Sorrell said tearfully outside the Multnomah County courtroom.
He did, however, admit to yelling at the couple.
“I guess my fear and paranoia, I just yelled out. I don’t go on social media looking to hate on people,” he stated. “I guess my ignorance and my stupidity is why I opened my mouth, and I shouldn’t have and I claim full responsibility.”
“I don’t know who you are. I’m sorry I blurted out what I blurted out, my paranoia my fear. I don’t hate you I don’t know you,” Sorrell went on. “I don’t wish death upon these people.”
“If the victims want to sit down and talk I would love to sit down and have an open conversation with them and have an open mind and apologize,” he said. “I just don’t know them, and all I know is fear based information.”
— Report: More than half of hate crimes in U.S. go unreported —
According to police, hate crimes in Oregon are defined as “any criminal act that targets a victim based on the suspect’s perception of the victim’s race, color, religion, sexual orientation, disability or national origin.”
This crime follows on the heels of another attack in Oregon where two men were fatally stabbed by a white man while defending Muslims.
“We hope the arrest of this suspect will serve to deter others from committing bias-motivated crimes targeting Muslims or any other minority group,” said CAIR-Oregon spokesperson Zakir Khan. “CAIR-Oregon thanks the Portland Police Bureau and the Portland Mayor’s office for their diligent efforts in this case.”
