Upon seeing the San Francisco Police Department’s surveillance video footage of a “person of interest” in racist, threatening packages left on his doorstep, Alamo Square resident and dog walker Terry Williams said he can’t place the person’s face.
“The person looks familiar, but I don’t know who it is,” Williams said on Friday afternoon, staring at a still image from the video. “I don’t recognize the person yet. I’m looking at it, like, maybe it just hasn’t hit me yet. I’m thinking about it.”
The video, released by police today, shows a person in a long, hooded black jacket, black pants and black boots. It was dated May 5 at 2:21 a.m. — the date that Williams found the second racist package on his doorstep.
The person appears to be wearing a black beanie under their hood as they stroll down the street with a large paper bag in their arms.
The police department is investigating the two packages, which appeared on Williams’ doorstep on April 26 and May 5, as hate crimes. The packages included black dolls with nooses around their necks, KKK imagery and racial slurs, and messages on the dolls demanded that Williams leave Alamo Square.
Williams said it was his first time seeing such clear surveillance footage. He had reviewed footage from neighbors that showed the suspect at one point wearing a mask, with similar clothing. He said he believes the person in the video is a woman.
Police did not specify why this person was a person of interest in the dog walker’s case or whether they were connected to the incidents. Last week, SFPD Lt. Bassey Obot said the department had served two search warrants and looked into one suspect already.
“Investigators are looking to speak with a person who may have information about the case,” the police statement read. “The SFPD is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the person.”
The police, Williams said, “tried to contact me, but I haven’t been around … I’m just trying to get my mind right. I just keep reliving it over and over and over. Kinda getting to me.”
Weeks after the packages began arriving on the dog walker’s doorstep, a fire broke out at Williams’ home, where he lived with his elderly parents and nephew. There is no confirmed connection between the fire and the packages, but the community has rallied around the Williams family to support their relocation.
Williams said he plans to speak with police to get better footage, where he can see the person from the front.
The majority of publicized Bay Area hate crime arrests have been people lacking in stability or in full-blown crisis, and this woman is unlikely to be an exception. The feeling of marginalization Terry has expressed stems from a different place.
It doesn’t matter in the slightest.
His home was terrorized twice and then set on fire with his elderly parents inside.
The image is merely a lead at this point. Making claims about the sex and character is just speculation.
“The majority” is a bold generalization and also doesn’t help your point, because that still means this could fall into your so-called minority of people who don’t lack stability and are in fact racist and hateful. But you’ve already decided for yourself that this somehow falls into your so-called majority? With no facts to actually back up your claim? Gotcha.
It could fall into the minority category, but I play the odds. And what I said doesn’t preclude someone being racist or hateful.
It’s of course impossible to know to what extent racism was a motivating factor and what extent it was used as a cudgel. It would appear the dolls were the result of some sort of vendetta, obviously.
All of those things have been used by racists to harass and scare Black people for over a century.
Please don’t dismiss a hateful act thats steeped in history.
I believe there is more to this story and the one person who would know is Terry Williams. This story just don’t sound right Mo one has explained how the fire started. Something is just not right.