Virginia Brothers Arrested For ‘Jewish Scum’ Attack On Man Wearing Star Of David
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
(JTA) — Two brothers from the Appalachian Trail town of Damascus, Virginia were arrested after they were captured on video yelling anti-Semitic comments at a man wearing a Star of David.
The incident occurred Monday outside of Hey Joe’s, a restaurant owned by the father of the suspects, Joseph Killian, 33, and Henry Killian II, 35, the Bristol Herald-Courier reported.
Craig Johnston, who reportedly was hiking the trail, filmed the encounter and posted it to social media. Damascus Police told the Herald-Courier that Johnston told police he planned to buy marijuana from the brothers. Johnston maintains in comments on Facebook that he only stopped at the restaurant to eat when the brothers noticed his Star of David.
The town’s mayor, Jack McCrady, said in a Facebook post that while Johnston, whom he called the “not so innocent victim,” did not press charges against the brothers, the town did based on the video. “Nothing can justify the hideous statements by those involved. This does not represent Damascus or our citizens,” he wrote in the post.
In the video, the brothers tell Johnston that he “should be in a f*ckin’ Jewish oven and die like your ancestors.” They also call him “Jewish scum” and tell him he is not welcome in the restaurant. They also threaten to “come and find you later.”
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