Cops: Naperville student wasn't victim of hate crime in Iowa
A black University of Iowa freshman from Naperville was not the victim of a hate crime, despite telling police he was attacked and called racial slurs, authorities said Tuesday.
Instead, police using video surveillance footage and witness accounts determined Marcus Owens was involved in three altercations early May 1 - one inside a bar and two at nearby intersections. They said during one of the fights, he pushed and punched a person. In another, he grabbed and tried to strike another person.
Owens originally told Iowa City police he was assaulted by three white men April 30 in an alley in the city's downtown. In reporting the alleged attack on May 2, he said he was struck several times and called racial slurs.
Witnesses later told police one person used "the N-word" during the second altercation, but the FBI determined the use and the "facts of this investigation" did not meet the criteria of a hate crime, according to a news release from Iowa City Sgt. Scott Gaarde.
Owens' teeth, face and eye were injured in the fights, his uncle, Dwayne Owens of Oswego, said May 4.
Police said multiple witnesses told them Owens was concerned about his injuries and how he would explain them to his family.
Owens, a freshman studying business at Iowa, and his family Monday released an apology to Iowa City police, the community and the University of Iowa.
The statement apologizes for Owens' involvement in "a violent incident" that caused misunderstandings and anxiety.
"While racial slurs served to fuel the violence, Marcus now knows that his account of events was inconsistent with police findings, in part due to alcohol being involved, his embarrassment at his behavior, as well as the injuries he sustained," the statement says. "It was concluded that this incident was not a hate crime as originally believed, but rather a case of excessive underage drinking and extremely poor judgment on the part of many people, Marcus included."
No charges are anticipated as police wrap up their investigation.
Police said surveillance video shows Owens entering a bar called Eden Lounge at 11:43 p.m. April 30. At 1:32 a.m. May 1, surveillance video shows Owens participating in an altercation. Police said the video shows Owens leaving the bar at 1:34 a.m., when he pushes and punches another person.
Surveillance also shows Owens being removed from the area by the bar staff at 1:35 a.m. but trying to re-enter at 1:36 a.m. At 1:41 a.m., police said footage shows Owens involved in another altercation just east of the bar.
Four minutes later, witnesses said Owens was involved in a third altercation in which he grabbed and tried to strike someone. When a University of Iowa police officer arrived, witnesses said Owens walked home with another person.
Police said they treated the investigation as a major case and dedicated all available resources to it, but they determined at no point was there a public safety issue.
"All evidence gathered supports that this was an isolated incident that stemmed from an ongoing disagreement," Gaarde said in a statement.
Police said the disagreement started between two students who are members of the Pi Kappa Appha and Kappa Sigma fraternities. Owens is reported to have been a pledge member of Pi Kappa Alpha.
Owens' uncle did not immediately return a call seeking comment Tuesday.