Posted on 08/01/2007 2:52:38 PM PDT by RGSpincich
SAN LEANDRO -- Arson investigators combed through the charred remains of a San Leandro sports bar early Wednesday looking for evidence of a possible hate crime after a racial slur was found spray-painted on the back of the building.
Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. JD Nelson said a patrolling officer smelled smoke and noticed it pouring out of the Sports Fan on 150th and Liberty at about 3 a.m. and immediately called in firefighters.
The blaze was quickly brought under control, but concerns were immediately elevated when the slur was discovered.
"He (the deputy) noticed the slur almost immediately," Nelson said. "He patrols that area and had not seen it the night before."
Nelson said the bar was owned by an African-American and the clientele was predominantly African-Americans.
"It's a little unnerving when someone has the audacity to write something on a wall that is so offensive," Nelson said.
Investigators have been able to determine that the fire began inside the bar.
"We have to find out if someone left in anger or if this is simply an overloaded circuit," Nelson said. "The problem with a fire in a bar is that it is full of alcohol and that is an accelerant."
Bar general manager Reggie Bell was on the scene and looking at the damage in disbelief.
"I'm just shocked and surprised," Bell told KTVU. "I try to run a good business and be a good citizen and then something like this happens…What do I have to do to be accepted as a good citizen here?…I have no idea what I'm going to do…I'll get back in business…I'll be back."
Bell said he had not received any threats and when he left the bar at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday it was "business as usual."
Investigators said they would be on the scene for much of the day trying to determine the cause of the blaze.
Oops. Sounds like the igniter did not cover his tracks well. Probably in a hurry to lock up and start spray painting.
LOOK OUT, CSI IS ALREADY HERE, LOL!
Seriously, what?
Given the past history of possible hate crimes, this is more likely an insurance scam with a self inflicted racial slur.
I agree. Something does not smell right here and it ain’t the smoke.
What was the “racial” slur?
Something like: “Criminal thugs out of the NBA? “Steroid swilling animals get out of baseball and football!”
“Low class, bling wearing trash out of sports!”?
“Down with sideways wearing hated, baggy panted, illiterate cavemen!”?
I am glad no one was hurt.
I’ll bet it said, “I hate blacks.” It was probably put there by the same FReeper who posted it here for O’Reilly to find.
My money in on an insider inititated arson — with an amateurish attempt to pin it on whitey....
This is a going out of business or a remodeling fire....
I blame it on “The Man”.
Goodfellas
Oh puleeze. That bar has been there for a long time.
It also should be noted that not only is this bar near a sheriffs dept. but it is also near a detention center for juvenile deliquents and the mentally less stable.
Hmmmm.
It's not like one does not see people nearby that are many cards short of a full deck.
I hate sports bars, but I’ve never felt the urge to burn one down...
‘I blame it on “The Man”.”
How did you know it was me?
As expected...not a hate crime.
http://www.ktvu.com/news/13798594/detail.html
Wednesday afternoon, investigators picked up bar employee Elbert Cantey of Oakland for questioning. That was when deputies determined that Cantey had in fact accidentally set the fire with an unattended cigarette.
“The fire got out of hand, he panicked [and] fled the bar. His words were, it was like he was gonna get in trouble with his mother,” explained Sgt. Scott Dudek. “He was afraid to report it because he was very close to the actual manager of the bar and didn’t want the manager of the bar to be upset with him that his bar just burnt down. That’s why he fled.”
Investigators indicated they suspect Cantey may have written the grafitti to divert suspicion from himself. That matter is still under investigation.
The bar’s owners say most of the interior is a total loss and they’re waiting to see what their insurance company says about the fire after it has been properly assessed.
Unlike me.
Unlike me.
My, my......
Looks like I had it EXACTLY right.....
I wonder how I did that?
Now - I would like to see the “hate police” investigate the black thugs rape and murder of that white couple in Tennessee..
It will be kept very low key, and invisible if MSM can manage it..
It REALLY demonstrates what a HATE CRIME and a RACE CRIME really is....
Actually, it’s probably too horrific for the average American to comprehend as possible.......But it HAPPENED.
In America — it is overwhelmingly BLACK ON WHITE crime...
But, you’d never know it by the screaming from the blacks, the NAACP or MSM....
It WILL all blow up one day.....
This kind of “diversity” we can do without...
By now, that seems to be a conditioned reflex in too many blacks in America..
Who do we thank for that?
Jesse? Al? Farrakhan? or simply the DNC and the Goobermint Skools?
Crying wolf "whitey did it", is getting more than tiresome.....
Ping.
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