An elderly man heard calling a black woman the n-word seven times in a viral video taken in the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center parking lot is facing misdemeanor battery charges, according to SMCPD Chief Johnnie Adams. Fredric Allan Shinerock was cited and released in the field immediately after the arrest Tuesday, Adams said.
In the video, which has been viewed nearly than 8,000 times on Facebook, the 80-year-old man appears to shout “You don’t belong (unintelligible). Go back to South LA. Shut your f---ing ugly, n----- mouth. You’re a n-----!”
In the amateur video, the argument over a parking space then turned physical. The unidentified woman can be seen striking the Los Angeles man in the face. He tries to kick her several times. As the woman walked away, the man follows and a parking attendant tries to separate the two people.
“Call me a n----- again,” the woman said.
The man shouts the racial epithet several more times as he gets in his car and drives away.
“You’re the one who’s in the f---ing wrong,” the woman said.
The May 1 incident is classified as a hate crime and it is now up to the City Attorney’s Office whether to pursue other charges. Shinerock could not be reached for comment.
Chief Adams says an officer arrived on scene at about 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, within one minute of the first call to his department about the incident.
The video was taken by Enrique Conde, an SMC student who had just parked his car for orchestra practice when he heard shouting. Conde said tempers often flare in the PAC parking lot when there are classes and an event at The Broad Stage taking place at the same time. There was an opera performance scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m., about an hour after the incident took place, according to the calendar for The Broad.
“It was shocking to see that but, unfortunately, it’s not the first time I’ve seen a racial tirade over a parking space in Santa Monica,” Conde said. “A lot of people come into work who are not from the area and you see that friction sometimes.”
Conde said his video doesn’t capture the aftermath of the incident when several bystanders walked over to comfort the woman. He said he wished he had done more to stop the fight and the experience has changed the way he views other viral videos.
“You watch one of those videos and you’re like ‘why doesn’t anybody do something?’ and I became that person,” Conde said.
The student said he expected the parking attendant to better control the situation.
Bassoonist Anthony Parnther was walking through the parking lot after rehearsing for the night’s performance when he heard the n-word. In addition to performing at the Broad, Parnther is the conductor and director of the Southeast Symphony, one of the oldest predominantly black orchestras in the United States.
“The guy’s energy was filled with such hate and vitriol,” Parnther told the Daily Press in an interview Wednesday. “It was some really impassioned, hateful screaming that we witnessed. It was supposed to be a musical celebration and it turned into something that was really shameful and revolting.”
Parnther, who did not get involved with the argument, said Shinerock abruptly called him an asshole before driving off.
“It goes to show that progress is not linear,” Parnther said. “It moves forward and backward before rolling forward again.”
Parnther said narrow parking spaces at the concert hall add to the difficulty of finding a space before a rehearsal or performance. He said he’s been stuck in his car on more than one occasion, unable to open the door because of how closely the cars are squeezed next to each other.
SMC’s President sent out a statement Wednesday in response to the incident.
“Santa Monica College is an institution that prides itself on inclusivity and diversity and we will continue to do our utmost to uphold our commitment to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment,” said Dr. Kathryn E. Jeffery. “We will take immediate and evident action to reinforce to our students, college community, and guests that there is no room for hate at Santa Monica College.”
The City Attorney’s Office did not respond to the Daily Press’ request for comment.
kate@www.smdp.com
