As Pride Month continues, several people have been charged with allegedly defacing Pride flags painted on streets with tire marks, and some critics have even accused them of a hate crime.
In early February, a Florida man was accused of deliberately doing multiple burnouts with his pickup truck in a Delray Beach intersection that was painted in rainbow colors.
The incident was caught on surveillance video, which police released. It shows a pickup truck with LED underbody lights and an American flag attached to the back, leaving tire marks on the intersection’s Pride paint while making a hard left after dark.
WATCH: Police in Delray Beach, FL have arrested and charged Dylan Brewer, 19, for spinning his tires on a gay pride crosswalk.
Police said Brewer ’caused significant damage to the streetscape painting, which serves as a symbol of unity and inclusivity for the LGBTQ community.’ pic.twitter.com/kNlJ7Du8KK
— Brendon Leslie (@BrendonLeslie) February 14, 2024
Dylan Brewer, 19, surrendered to authorities after they searched for him for a week. He was charged with felony criminal mischief, damage to property over $1,000, and misdemeanor reckless driving. He was released on a $5,250 bond.
“Witnesses reported that Brewer was observed intentionally performing multiple burnouts with his vehicle over the LGBTQ pride crosswalk,” the Delray Beach Police Department said. “The reckless action caused significant damage to the streetscape painting, which serves as a symbol of unity and inclusivity for the LGBTQ community.”
The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council declared Brewer’s actions should be considered a hate crime.
Then earlier this month, three teenagers were arrested and charged with a felony for leaving scooter marks on the Pride flag painted on a street in Spokane. Prosecutors demanded a $15,000 bond for the teens.
The three teenagers seen in this video have been charged with a felony for leaving scooter marks on the Pride flag painted on the street in Spokane, WA. Prosecutors are demanding a $15k bond for the teens. pic.twitter.com/RPg1o5pabz
— Catch Up Bites (@catchupbites) June 10, 2024
Police used surveillance footage from the intersection to find the suspects.
The 19-year-old suspect was charged with malicious mischief with a hate crime bias. He was accused of shouting “f–k you f—-t” at a passerby.
“We see that you have done this thing,” one witness said. “People don’t just go and do that without intention. You don’t destroy symbols without intention behind it.”
Lime Scooters, which rents the scooters the teens were using, said it would be “taking immediate action against the perpetrators.”
“All of us at Lime condemn these vile acts in no uncertain terms,” the company said in a statement, adding that it is “disturbing to see the hate taking place in Spokane.”
“We will not let the hateful few spoil the joy of Pride Month in Spokane, and are grateful for those working to make Spokane more welcoming for all,” Lime Scooters added.
The company also said it was “immediately instituting a no-ride zone around the mural to protect it from any future vandalism attempts,” which means the scooters will shut down if driven over the street’s Pride paint.
A local Spokane outlet also reported that more youths left scooter skid marks on the street’s Pride display the next day. The youngsters also left skid marks on other parts of the street.
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A new Washington state law making it a hate crime to deface public installations with the intent of intimidating a protected group went into effect on June 6.
In Bend, Oregon, several vehicles reportedly burned their tires out on a Pride crosswalk, which police said could be classified as speed racing, which is a traffic violation as well as potentially even reckless driving.
In St. Petersburg, Florida residents complained about tire marks on their Pride-themed intersection as well.
“I’m having a hard time believing that it’s not intentional,” said Rachel Covello, who organizes a local LGBT conference and called the police over the tire marks.
In some instances, streets painted in Pride flag colors have been vandalized directly with graffiti, arson, or more paint.
However, critics have argued that simply leaving tire marks or scooter skid marks on the street does not constitute a hate crime.
