William “Bull” Bullard, a Petaluma youth basketball coach and former Harlem Globetrotter, says he walked into his parking garage and found swastikas and racist slurs scrawled into the dust on his truck windows near his downtown apartment. He told reporters he had checked on the vehicle the day before, then returned to see the markings and immediately filmed what he saw for social media. Bullard filed a report with Petaluma police and said the discovery left him shaken, adding, “Enough is enough.”
In videos he posted online, Bullard describes how the hateful symbols and language were etched into the grime on every window of his truck and says the vandalism likely happened overnight, according to the Marin Independent Journal. He told the outlet he asked his property manager to save surveillance footage from the parking garage and that he shared the clips with more than 30,000 Instagram followers. Bullard, who launched a small training gym called Bam Bam Training in Petaluma this fall, says he hopes to channel the incident into more youth outreach instead of letting it fuel fear.
Police response and case status
Petaluma police confirmed that Bullard submitted an online report, but Lt. Zilverio Rivera told the San Francisco Chronicle that detectives have suspended the investigation for now. According to Rivera, officers were not able to collect usable evidence or pinpoint exactly where the vandalism occurred. He said the symbols and slurs appeared to be finger-drawn into dusty glass and that there was no lasting damage to the vehicle beyond the offensive writing. Police say detectives will take another look if surveillance footage or other solid leads come in.
Bullard's response and local support
Bullard says the episode has left him worried about his safety, but just as determined to keep working with young players. Dozens of friends, followers and athletes reached out with messages of support on his posts, the Marin Independent Journal reports. He told reporters he plans to press charges if investigators identify a suspect and has asked nearby property owners to review and preserve any surveillance video that might help. Bullard, who has lived in Petaluma for about five years, says this incident follows an encounter in February in which he was demeaned at a local grocery store.
Legal context
Under California law, crimes that are found to be driven by bias can carry enhanced penalties and support separate hate crime allegations. Vandalism or interference with property that targets someone because of a protected characteristic can qualify for those enhancements, according to the California Penal Code. Whether any enhancement applies in a case like Bullard’s depends on investigators and prosecutors being able to prove a bias motive beyond a reasonable doubt. Authorities encourage victims and witnesses to turn over video or other evidence so detectives can evaluate possible hate crime charges.
What to watch
The report involving Bullard adds to a string of hate-related cases that have rattled communities around the North Bay this year and has prompted renewed calls for people to speak up when they see something. Petaluma police say Bullard’s initial complaint came in through the department’s online reporting portal and urge anyone with video or tips to contact investigators, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Bullard says he plans to keep coaching and mentoring local youth while he waits for answers about who defaced his truck.
