A neighborhood yard sale in Vancouver, Washington, took a sharp turn into criminal court territory after two men were arrested on suspicion of hate crime-related charges for allegedly refusing to sell to a Black woman and threatening her with a taser.
Police say the woman tried to buy an item at the sale when the encounter escalated. Officers later booked the two suspects on suspicion of malicious harassment, harassment, and displaying a weapon. Both men appeared in court Monday afternoon.
Neighbor Candy Wallice told KATU that she spoke with the alleged victim, who said the sellers told her, "we don't sell to people like you," when she tried to buy a book. Wallice said the situation escalated from there. The woman remained in the street, the sellers told her to leave, and someone allegedly threatened her with a taser before she called police.
What court documents say
Court records obtained by KATU state that the woman reported one of the men pointed a taser at her and threatened to use it. According to those documents, a defendant also told investigators, "Knowing your people, you probably have a gun in that purse." Police said the woman was not physically injured.
The same court documents note that the defendants denied having a visible taser or using one and claimed the woman had targeted them because they are white.
Charges and legal stakes
Under Washington law, malicious harassment falls under the state hate crime statute and can be prosecuted as a class C felony, according to RCW 9A.36.080. Separately, displaying or drawing a weapon in a way that “manifests an intent to intimidate” is prohibited and can be charged as a gross misdemeanor under RCW 9.41.270. Prosecutors will weigh those statutes as they decide how to proceed.
What happens next
The Clark County prosecutor will review police reports and court paperwork before deciding whether to file formal charges beyond the initial arrests. The suspects have been arraigned and, as with any defendants at this stage, retain the presumption of innocence.
Vancouver police did not immediately release additional details beyond what appears in public court records and in the reporting cited by the station.
