Police in Oregon are investigating after two severed deer heads were found near Black Lives Matter and Joe Biden/Kamala Harris signs.
The grim discoveries were reported just hours apart in the Palisades neighborhood of Lake Oswego on Thursday, the Lake Oswego Police Department said in a news release.
The police department said it received a report of a deer head at the intersection of Greentree Road and Campus Way, near a political sign, at around 9:30 a.m. that day.
Around three hours later, police said they had received a report of another deer head in the 2700 block of Greentree Road. "This time, it was near a racial justice sign," the department said.
2 deer heads were found in the Palisades neighborhood of Lake Oswego yesterday (10/29), and police are asking for information about the person(s) who placed them. Read more: https://t.co/40MKhpjNhB
— Lake Oswego Police (@LOPolice) October 30, 2020
According to KATU, the owners of the signs were "extremely disturbed" by what happened, but are not taking them down.
The daughter of one of the homes that was affected said her family had put a Black Lives Matter sign on their lawn a couple of weeks ago.
"Sometime in the middle of the night, someone left a DECAPITATED deer head in a white garbage bag on our lawn right near the sign," she said in a statement, according to the station.
Describing the incident as "a horrific and disgusting experience," she added that the "threat is loud and clear."
While conceding that she doesn't know who was behind the attack, she said: "All we know is that whoever did this is filled with deep-seated hatred & racism.
"I am still shocked and trying my best to process this information, but the fact that my family could have been hurt really unsettles me... Nowhere in America is truly safe. Not even in the little "bubble" I call home."
Lake Oswego police said they are investigating both incidents and appealed to the public to come forward if they have any information. The police department have been contacted for additional comment.
Police also said that if anyone feels they were targeted with bias due to their race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or religion, they should make a report and receive support.
Victims of bias incidents or crimes can call the police to report them by calling the State of Oregon Bias Hotline at 1-844-924-BIAS (2427) or make a report online at StandAgainstHate.oregon.gov.
Anyone with information about either incident is urged to call the Lake Oswego Police Department non-emergency line at (503) 635-0238. Information can also be provided anonymously using our "Submit a Tip" form online.
