Coast Guard officials say member fabricated racial incident

PORT ANGELES — A black Coast Guardsman who alleged three racially tinged incidents to his superiors has admitted to fabricating a note containing a racial slur.

The note was the most serious of the three incidents — the other two involving comments allegedly spoken at a fast-foot restaurant — and spurred a police investigation as well as a Justice Department response.

At one point, the Port Angeles police chief personally interviewed the Coast Guardsman, who said a note saying “Ni–er go home!” was placed on his car’s windshield outside his west Port Angeles apartment complex.

But the Coast Guard has now taken over the entire investigation after the man, whose name has not been released, admitted to the fabrication.

“To touch on something as delicate as racism in an effort to make a false claim for personal gain is reprehensible,” the Port Angeles Coast Guard Group/Air Station commander, Capt. William Peterson, said Monday.

“It violates the core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty that Coast Guard members live by.”

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The rest of the story appears in Tuesday’s Peninsula Daily News. Click on SUBSCRIBE, above, to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.

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