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Mar 19, 2008 10:14 pm US/Central
Owner Of Defaced Arlington Home Cited For Assault
3 Months Later, City Paints Over Racial Slur On Arlington Home
ARLINGTON (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
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Broderick Gamble and his fiancé Silk Littlejohn had graffiti spray painted on the garage doors of a house they are building. The words appeared just days after Littlejohn was assaulted by a person yelling racial slurs.
KTVT / KTXA
The owner of a home vandalized with a spray-painted racial slur was cited for assault Wednesday after police said he pushed a city worker who was removing the graffiti.
Broderick Gamble and his fiancé Silk Littlejohn have kept the spray painted racial slur on their garage door since last December. The graffiti appeared just days after Grace Head, a neighbor, allegedly assaulted Littlejohn with a 2-by-4 and yelled racial slurs.
The couple said they left the slurs up as a message about racism, and the doors were going to be placed in a civil rights museum.
For the majority of the last three months, Gamble said the graffiti was covered with a tarp. However, city officials argue the words have been visible since late February.
Gamble said the city has harassed him, despite public promises to respect their wishes to use the vandalism as a message about racism.
Wednesday, the City of Arlington sent workers to the home to clean up the graffiti. The workers were following a court order and warrant issued last night.
City officials said Gamble has had enough time to make his point, and the graffiti laws had to be enforced.
"We've been very patient with this couple," said Arlington Mayor Dr. Robert Cluck. "It's time now for them to come into compliance with out ordinances. There is no reason that they are any different than other people."
When Gamble heard someone was taking the graffiti down, he raced over to the home, skidding to a stop in his front yard.
Sharon Richie, 43, and another code enforcement officer showed up and painted over the graffiti. But before they did, Arlington police spokesperson Blake Millers said "Gamble made physical contact and assaulted [Richie]."
Gamble was ticketed for "offensive, proactive, physical contact." But he said, "I don't know where any of that come from. The individual touched me." He faces a $500 fine.
Gamble has home video showing the aftermath of the incident.
While the details of the injuries were not released, Miller said the officer "is seeking medical attention, but [the injuries] do not appear to be incapacitating or life threatening."
When asked why they did not bring down the graffiti on their own, or put up the doors they were provided, the couple responded with another question: Why hasn't the city responded to their requests to clean up a drainage ditch in the backyard?
"They have yet to rectify the creek in our backyard that is full of feces," complained Littlejohn.
Their battle with the city may not be over yet. City employees will attempt to remove a stain on the doors next week. But it may take longer for the issue to be removed.
"This is not going away," said Littlejohn. "This is about racism. It's not about those garage doors!"
Police still do not know who is responsible for spray painting the words on the door.
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