Colorado Springs mayoral candidate’s sign painted with a racial slur in front of burning cross
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A video shared with KRDO shows a cross burning in front of one of Colorado Springs mayoral candidate Yemi Mobolade's campaign signs that has the n-word spray painted in red across it. Now, the Rocky Mountain National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is calling for accountability.
The Colorado Springs Police Department confirmed with KRDO the department has now opened an investigation into a biased crime.
The video and a photo were sent to KRDO's newsroom Sunday night. Our team has repeatedly reached out to the person who sent it to figure out the origination of the video - but they haven't responded.
Mobolade's campaign has since taken down the sign.
He provided KRDO with the following statement regarding the vandalism and burned cross:
I’m aware of the video sent to media and recognize the hurt this heinous content causes our city. We do not know if the photo is of real events or if was staged/created. Either way, it’s reprehensible. This is not the Colorado Springs we know and it is likely the actions of an unhealthy individual. Simply put, this is a distraction from what this election is about – our families and building a Colorado Springs that puts our families first. We encourage the media to refrain from posting these photos - as not to give this sort of behavior any oxygen.
Colorado Springs Mayoral Candidate Yemi Mobolade
KRDO NewsChannel 13 has chosen to report on this incident because it is now a Colorado Springs Police investigation.
Mobolade's opponent, current city councilman Wayne Williams, provided KRDO with the following statement:
I strongly condemn whoever staged this horrific scene. Such sentiments and actions are reprehensible and have no place in Colorado Springs.
Wayne Williams
Portia Prescott with the Rocky Mountain NAACP said she learned about the sign Monday morning from her coworkers. She said she was immediately concerned about Mobolade's safety and also the message of hate this relays to El Paso County.
"We're so early in this election, we have a lot more elections to go. We have a lot more candidates of diversity who are going to be running across the state of Colorado in this cannot be tolerated. This type of hate, this type of bigotry has to be rooted out, stamped out, and addressed. And the person should be held accountable because the next time it could be someone's life. And that should not be accepted," said Prescott.
CSPD said it's unclear how long the investigation into this incident will take.
