The last place you would expect to see road rage happened in Portland. Neal Hollis Walker, a 54-year-old man, was arrested Friday afternoon outside of the Portland Police Bureau headquarters after a racist confrontation he started with another driver. He threatened the victim with violence. Walker was booked into Multnomah County jail on suspicion of second-degree bias crime and menacing. The racism was anti-Asian in nature.
Reports of anti-Asian racism and harassment in Oregon have been rising, according to surveys and reports to a state bias hotline. The hotline has seen increases in reports of racism against virtually all groups as the number of calls increased. However, reports of incidents targeting Asians and Asian Americans increased by the largest percentage.
Police said Walker drove up to another driver near South Macadam Avenue and Taylors Ferry Road and made a series of negative remarks towards Asians. Walker, who is white, believed the other driver to be of Asian descent.
Walker had a object in his hand. He brandished a black plastic hose, acting as though it were a gun, before driving away. The other driver followed Walker and called 911.
With the other driver still following, Walker drove to the central police precinct in downtown Portland, police said, where officers separated the two and eventually arrested Walker. He was still in custody at press time.
