Police: Man beaten with hammer after yelling racial slurs, trying to hit man with car

A man was beaten with a hammer after police said he yelled racial slurs and tried to hit a man with his car.

The incident happened shortly before 9:30 a.m. Thursday in the 8900 block of Aurora Avenue North, just south of the Taco Bell. Police found the motorist holding his arm.

That man, 52, admitted to shouting racist slurs at a man during the incident, police said. The 52-year-old is white; the man he’s said to have yelled at is black.

“A witness at the scene told officers the 52-year-old man pulled into the parking lot and began yelling at the victim, who was sitting with a group of people in the parking lot,” police spokesman Jonah Spangenthal-Lee said in a statement.

“The suspect got out of his car and continued shouting at the man, who got up and began walking away. The 52-year-old man the returned to his vehicle and attempted to run over the victim, who changed course in the parking lot. The driver then put his car in reverse and tried to run the man over once again.”

At that point, a witness told police the victim reached through the driver’s door and punched him before trying to leave.

“The suspect then threw a hammer at the man, missing him, but striking a nearby vehicle,” Spangenthal-Lee said. “The victim then picked up the hammer and began hitting the driver in the arm before running southbound on Nesbit Avenue North.”

Police couldn’t find the victim, and he did not call 911 to report the incident Thursday morning. He was taken to Northwest Hospital for treatment, and detectives continue to investigate.

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