Southfield is a rather large metro city just north of Detroit, about 80 percent African American, 15 percent white and 5 percent other. It is known as the Middle class African American city of metro Detroit. It usually is peaceful enough, it has your typical large suburban problems but for the most part I feel perfectly safe here. Of course since it has the reputation as a "black" city due to white flight from 25 years ago some white folk never set foot in here and it is their loss. Anyway, enough about the city.
The Detroit News has reports of a potential hate crime that happened on Valentine's Day that is still unclear in the details but bears watching.
Moe after the orange UFO
Southfield police said that at about 10:30 p.m. last Saturday they responded to the mall at 21500 Northwestern Highway on a report of an assault. A 52-year-old Detroit man was found to have stab wounds to the head, neck and back and a 51-year-old Detroit man was stabbed in the hand
Southfield Police Chief Eric Hawkins tells The Associated Press the man asked the two other men whether they were Muslim. Hawkins says the men replied they weren’t and the man attacked them.
It is not believed the man knew either of the victims and reportedly made several comments about his religion and asked the victims about their religious beliefs just before the assault occurred.
Just what the attacker said is uncertain. Could he have attacked the two because he thought they were Muslim and they were not? Or because he assumed they were lying to him and he just "believed" they were still Muslim? It's all too unclear at the moment, but bears watching.
I will keep you updated as more news becomes available.