Black Man Stabbed by White Man While Applying for Job at a Truck Stop. Police Say It’s a Hate Crime

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Imagine walking into a restaurant at a truck stop to apply for a job and being stabbed instead.

That’s exactly what happened to Ronnell Hughes, a 48-year-old black man, on Saturday morning. The Oregonian reports that Hughes was stabbed by a white truck driver at an Arby’s restaurant located at a truck stop in Ontario, Ore., as he applied for a job at the fast-food chain. In a statement, the Ontario Police Department said, “The motive for the attack leans heavily towards a racially motivated crime.” In other words, it’s a hate crime.

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Nolan Strauss, a 26-year-old from Nebraska, has been arrested for the crime and most likely will face the following charges: assault, attempted murder, and committing a bias crime.

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Police told the Oregonian that Strauss is a driver for May Trucking Co. and that he and Hughes didn’t appear to know each other. Police also say the incident was “without provocation” and that Arby’s employees came to Hughes’ rescue mid-incident by subduing the attacker.

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Fortunately, Hughes survived the attack and is in stable condition at a nearby hospital in Idaho.

Unfortunately, we may need to add this to the list of things black folks can’t do without getting harassed or assaulted by white people: barbecuing, selling water or applying for a job at an Arby’s.