Hate crime arrest made in Cheney

Cheney police have arrested a local man in connection with an alleged hate crime incident at the Dollar Tree store last Monday evening.

According to the police report, a 22-year-old black man and his girlfriend were shopping in the store at 2424 1st St. when a white male began making suspicious eye contact and possible intimidating gestures at them as they browsed the aisles, what Cheney police Sgt. Nate Conley referred to as “mean-mugging them.” Upon arriving at the check out register, the couple was approached by the suspect, who began yelling obscenities and racial slurs followed by physically assaulting the man.

“Several witnesses heard the comments,” Conley said. “He (suspect) was using the N-word over and over again.”

Conley said the 22-year-old defended himself well, and the suspect quickly fled the store on foot. A Dollar Tree employee contacted police at around 7:44 p.m., and upon arrival officers located the suspect, identified as 26-year-old Tyler J. Howells, in the nearby Cheney Plaza parking lot. Howells has been charged with malicious harassment.

“That’s Washington’s version of a hate crime,” Conley said. “Basically, it means his intent was based on race.”

RCW 9A.36.080 defines malicious harassment as “maliciously and intentionally” committing certain acts based upon “his or her perception of the victim’s race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation or mental, physical or sensory handicap.” Those acts include making threats that place a person or group of persons “in reasonable fear of harm to person or property” and actions that “causes physical injury to the victim or another person.”

“It’s what they believe the other person to be,” Conley said.

Howells is well-known to Cheney police, Conley said, adding that they have had run-ins with him in the past, but for nothing hate-related, nor is there evidence of such actions anywhere else. He also said he believes Howells is from Cheney originally, but is now listed as transient regarding his living arrangements.

“If he is not here, he’s frequently here,” Conley added.

Howells is also apparently well-known to Eastern Washington University officials and campus police, having had several run-ins there as well. Deputy Police Chief Jay Day said they have had multiple contacts with Howells beginning in 2012, with the last occurring around 2014. The contacts ranged from suspicious circumstances to fourth-degree assault allegations.

Day said Howells has been trespassed from campus locations several times, along with being arrested on outstanding warrants, but nothing he recalled as being racially-oriented. He has also been the subject of medical calls, of which some were involving suicidal aspirations.

“He just has issues,” Day said. “For us, he was a two-officer response any time his name came up.”

While Howells has had contact with EWU police in the past, he has apparently done so without being a student at the university. EWU’s director of communications, Dave Meany, said a check of university records/registration revealed “no record of someone by that name (and age) ever being enrolled as a student.”

According to the state statute, malicious harassment is a Class C felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines if convicted.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].