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WWU: Police search campus for person who snatched MAGA hat off man's head

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Western Washington University said police searched the campus Tuesday for a person who snatched a Make America Great Again hat off a man’s head around 10 a.m.

A spokesperson for the university said police are investigating the hat-snatching, which happened near Edens Hall, as a strong-arm robbery.

WWU said the suspect was described as a “white college-age male with short, curly hair and a red sweatshirt with white lettering.” Police searched campus and the arboretum but did not find the man.

The person whose MAGA hat was stolen was a visitor to campus, not a student, according to the university, which said it wasn’t sure yet if the robber was a student.

"The hat stealing itself is definitely not ok but I feel like western is pretty well known as a liberal campus,” said student Riley Bigby.

Students who spoke with KIRO 7 were not surprised about what happened but said they were surprised to get a safety alert from the university.

"This did seem a little unnecessary,” said student Missy Banks.

Peter Condyles, president of Western Washington University’s Young Americans for Freedom, said his group would discuss the MAGA hat-snatching at an upcoming meeting.

"Whoever this person was on the college campus, he was displaying his political beliefs and we should allow him to do that,” said Condyles. “I mean, I could never dream of snatching a Hillary hat off someone's head."

WWU spokesperson Paul Cocke sent this statement to KIRO 7 regarding questions surrounding the university’s decision to send out an alert:

“The incident in question was a strong-arm robbery, which is considered a crime of violence against a person under state statute. The University sends out Western Alerts for strong-arm robberies on campus, and typically those near campus as well. Crimes considered an act of violence against a person merit a Western Alert. University Police carefully evaluate each reported crime to determine whether or not it merits an alert.”

Cocke said no video showing what happened has been recovered and that additional updates would be released through the Western Alerts system.

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