Redmond City Hall

Just over a week after a dead raccoon and a racist diatribe was left at the doorstep of Redmond mayor Ed Fitch’s law office, city councilors and the public spoke openly June 13 about issues of race in Redmond.

Mayor Fitch and Clifford Evelyn, the council’s only Black member, were targeted by the “intimidating note.” Both addressed the incident Tuesday night.

Evelyn read a prepared statement and said he was “disgusted” by the “cowardly act” and said it reminded him of something out of the 1950s and 1960s.

“Apparently, history repeats itself and horrible acts of racism are occurring in our time and in our community,” said Evelyn.

Evelyn said the raccoon was not an isolated incident, but rather “a pattern of behavior from specific individuals who are using their public platform to polarize our city.” 

He said he has encountered racist abuse consistently since he joined the council in 2021 and became the city’s first Black councilor.

“It was crystal clear to me where this was heading and now we have reached an inflection point,” he said.  “Dog whistles and gestures will not deter me from performing my duty as a city councilor.”

Mayor Fitch said the attacks on Councilor Evelyn are “continual, year in and year out.” He said its “really sick, really wrong” and that he hoped that residents would unite against it.

Fitch said that the raccoon was killed in a manner that allowed it to bleed out right there at his doorstep, which he described as “animal abuse … is even more visceral in some ways” than the racial connotations that belie the message.

A few councilors also read written statements.

John Nielsen said that “Redmond is not unique or set apart on issues of race.” He said that claiming the city is flat “racist” is equally wrong.

Nielsen said he expects the person who left the animal will be found and brought to justice. 

“I know that their misplaced fear and rage will prove to be nothing more than a distraction to the people of this community,” said Nielsen.

Councilor Tobias Colvin said he pitied the “people that perpetrated this heinous act.”

“I feel sorry they live in a world that doesn’t exist anymore,” he said.

Councilor Cat Zwicker said that she felt that Redmond was not a “racist or hateful” community and that she preferred the council not spend their time and energy on what she described as a “one-off.”

“I would prefer to give them no time of day,” she said.

Councilor Shannon Wedding said she felt “shame and anger” when she heard about the incident, but also felt the council shouldn’t give undo attention to people who only want to divide and anger the community.

During public comment, numerous people noted that racist abuse is all-too-common for people of color in Redmond. 

Newly-elected Redmond School Board member Amanda Page, a member of the Klamath Tribes, said the incident was “indicative of deeper problems” in the city. 

Gavin Alston, a 10-year-old Black fourth grader in Redmond, said he has endured racist abuse in Redmond schools, as fellow students have called him the n-word and names such as “monkey” and “animal.”

“We should not get treated like this,” said Gavin. “We should get treated equally. This is not fair to us Black people.”

Redmond Police Department said on June 14 that they continue to investigate the dead raccoon and the potential bias crime. No arrests have been made.