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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A tense exchange caught on camera at a Southeast Portland Chevron station ended with one man arrested Friday.
The clip was obtained by KOIN 6 News from the store owner's son, who first posted it to social media. He said said the man--identified by police and court documents as Brian Miller--came into the store to buy cigarettes and started berating his father, who is Afghan. The man made charged comments about the gas station worker's racial ethnicity, saying, "Is that how we do things in America Afghan? Al Queda? Osama? Is it?" before going on a destructive tirade in the store.
The customer is shown in the video throwing things at the storeowner, knocking over heavy objects in his direction and threatening to kill him.
Court documents show Miller was arrested on criminal mischief and robbery charges, both felonies. He was released. KOIN 6 News reached out to Multnomah County Sheriff's Office asking if the case would be investigated as a hate crime, given the charged speech in the video. So far, the law enforcement agency has not given comment on the matter.
In the meantime, the store owner's son, who requested that their names not be released for safety reasons, issued this statement:
"I believe this was an example of white privilege. The guy was released less than 24 hours after it happened with just a slap on the wrist. If the roles were reveresed, I think the outcome would have been very different."
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