*Earlier we reported the news of Darell Preston who was severely beaten by a white man who also yelled racist slurs at him. Now police in Portland (OR) have identified a suspect.
Preston, the owner of LoRell’s Chicken Shack, said he was delivering food when out of nowhere, for no reason, he found himself being pummeled and kicked as well as racially insulted by the suspect, Daniel Thomas Warren, 40.
According to Alicia LeDuc Montgomery, Preston’s attorney, the business owner was standing behind his food truck on June 15, talking to his wife on his mobile phone, when someone “violently assaulted him from behind” without warning. The statement describes the assailant as a white man.
Initially, reports said, when officers from the Portland Police Bureau responded to the incident and saw Preston’s bloodied face and overall condition, they thought he was a pedestrian who had been hit by a car.
Meanwhile, a video taken by an observer of the incident also showed a clear view of Warren’s face as he walked away from beating Preston.
The attacker hit Preston in the head and continued beating him, LeDuc Montgomery’s law office said, knocking him to the ground and yelling racial slurs. The attack and racial slurs continued as Preston tried to get up.
“I hit you, n****r! stay on the ground!” Preston’s legal counsel quoted the attacker as saying.
The police bureau confirmed the case is now being investigated as a racial/bias crime by the Major Crimes Team based on the description of Warren’s alleged racist slur tirade.
Apparently, this isn’t the first time Warren has harmed someone. The Multnomah County Detention Center released info that noted he was sentenced for coercion, assault, and multiple domestic violence charges in October 2021.
What’s also curious is that even though Portland police responded to the scene, they did not “call an ambulance or provide medical care to Mr. Preston” to the family’s knowledge, says Attorney LeDuc Montgomery. He had to be taken to the hospital by his wife, with his injured face wrapped in a shirt.
Preston’s attorney said requests from the police bureau or Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office for more information on the suspect or pursuance of charges have gone unanswered. Now, they wonder if the police did not take the attack seriously. Preston’s attorneys are investigating the timeliness of the government’s response, per the report.
“Any arrest must be based on probable cause and will stand up to scrutiny in any future criminal court proceeding. A misstep now could prevent justice from being served later, and we have dedicated and professional detectives working hard to do things right,” Sgt. Kevin Allen said via KGW8.
PPB said it would not discuss any video or photos of the crime or its aftermath being distributed.
The agency also pushed back on LeDuc Montgomery’s insinuation that police did not take the attack seriously.
“The officer, upon noticing the injuries to the victim, immediately offered to summon EMS,” Allen added. “The victim declined. Because he appeared to be conscious, oriented, and able to make his own health care decisions, it would not have been appropriate for the officer to override the patient’s wishes.”
The Portland Police Bureau advises anyone who sees Daniel Warren to NOT approach him. Instead, call 911. Also, information about the case that is not time-sensitive can be emailed to crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov – to the attention of the Major Crimes Unit, reference case #23-157872.
As of Thursday afternoon (06-29-23) the GoFundMe created to support Preston had raised nearly $63,000. The original goal was $10,000.
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