Eugene police seek suspect in Park Blocks bias incident

Eugene police are asking for help identifying a juvenile suspect after an Asian man reported being shoved in the Park Blocks and taunted with racist comments about his accent. The incident, handled as a bias case under file number 26-05912, happened at 3:55 p.m. on April 20 in one of downtown Eugene’s most visible public spaces.

The victim, a man in his 20s, told police he was approached from behind by a juvenile male who was part of a group. He said the teen pushed him hard enough that he partially fell into a fountain, then made racist remarks and told him he should not be here. The man later walked to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office, where Eugene police met him to take the report. He had pain afterward but did not need treatment at the scene.

On May 28, police said the suspect was a white male youth with blonde hair who was last seen wearing all black clothing, including a black hoodie with the hood up, and carrying a black backpack with light gray or white accents on the shoulder straps. Investigators are urging anyone who recognizes him, or who knows more about the group involved, to come forward.

The case lands in a place that carries unusual weight for downtown Eugene. The Park Blocks are described by the city as a living legacy in the heart of downtown, tied to Eugene’s original town square and often called the heart of Eugene. The space is home to the Eugene Saturday Market and the Lane County Farmers Market, and the Farmers Market Pavilion and plaza opened in summer 2022. City planners list the Park Blocks as one of four primary downtown public spaces, alongside 10th and Olive, the Hult Center Plaza and Kesey Square.

That setting matters because bias incidents can shape how residents experience a shared civic space long after the immediate confrontation ends. Eugene’s hate and bias guidance says such conduct can include assaulting or touching someone in an offensive manner because of protected-class status. The city routes complaints through the Office of Equity & Community Engagement and the Rights Assistance Program, while the Oregon Department of Justice says its Bias Response Hotline accepts reports in more than 240 languages and operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific, Monday through Friday.

State figures show why police and city officials treat these cases as more than a one-off altercation. Oregon’s 2024 bias crimes report said overall bias reports declined 7% last year, but race-based targeting still led all hotline reporting with 1,216 reports, and anti-national-origin targeting accounted for 651. For Asian residents, and for anyone who uses the Park Blocks to walk, work, shop or gather, the April 20 attack is another reminder that a public space can feel less welcoming in a matter of seconds.