An American jury has acquitted a black man who stabbed a white man because the latter said the N-word after the attack.
Gary Edwards, 43, of Portland, Oregon, was cleared of assault charges on October 31.
He had admitted to stabbing Gregory Howard Jr, also 43, but claimed it was in self-defence after the victim used racial slurs the moment they encountered each other.
Howard Jr maintained he only used the N-word after being stabbed.
Both men are homeless and share a string of convictions between them.
CCTV footage shows the moment Edwards approached Howard Jr, who was sitting on a bench, from behind with a fixed-blade knife in his hand.
As soon as Howard Jr saw his soon-to-be attacker, he can be seen jumping up and pushing him.
The pair then scuffled against a wall before Edwards suddenly stabbed Howard Jr in the shoulder.
PICTURED: The moment after Gary Edwards allegedly stabbed Gregory Howards Jr
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MCDA
Then, police bodycam footage caught Howard Jr calling Edwards the N-word following the stabbing.
But in court, the two men gave conflicting accounts about when the racial slur was spoken.
Howard Jr insisted the word was only used after Edwards had already stabbed him – though the latter claimed he called him the slur immediately upon seeing him.
Defence lawyers claimed racial prejudice explained why Howard Jr was hostile towards someone he had never met.
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PICTURED: Gary Edwards approaches Gregory Howards Jr, holding a knife
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MCDA
“What other than racism could explain why Mr Howard perceived hatred, animosity and aggression from a complete stranger?” defence lawyer Daniel Small asked the jury during the trial.
He claimed his client had approached Howard Jr in a bid to trade his knife for cigarettes.
But prosecutor Katherine Williams told the jury: “The defendant is not scared for his life. He didn’t retreat, he sauntered up – and he sauntered away after he stabbed someone. The defendant created the situation.”
The dispute over timing proved central to the case.
The jury ultimately sided with the defence, acquitting Edwards of all assault charges despite the prosecution’s arguments that he had initiated and controlled the violent encounter.
Edwards has a history of violent offences.
In 2021, he was convicted of attempted second-degree assault.
He received a three-year prison sentence for stabbing someone at a Portland light rail station in May 2020.
A separate charge of fourth-degree assault, relating to an altercation with a shop worker, was dropped in June.
That case was dismissed because no public defender was available to represent him.
The acquittal on October 31 came despite this criminal record being known to the court.
Howard Jr, meanwhile, has his own criminal past.
Records show he was convicted of felony rape of a child in Kitsap County, Washington in 1997.
