AUSTIN, Texas — In an update on Wednesday, the Austin Police Department (APD) said a Sunday night stabbing in West Campus, near the University of Texas, meets the criteria of a hate crime.
On Feb. 4, at around 7 p.m., APD responded to the intersection of Nueces and West 26th streets after multiple 911 calls reported that a man – later identified as Bert James Baker – was being pinned to the ground and another person had been stabbed in the ribs, according to an affidavit obtained by KVUE.
The victim, 23-year-old Zacharia Doar, and three others were in a pickup truck when one of the passengers felt the tailgate open. The witness said he then saw Baker on a bicycle, pulling open the rear right passenger door and the front right passenger door.
The witness told police Baker put his bicycle down in front of the truck and began yelling at people inside, calling them racial slurs. He said Baker seemed to be trying to get them to fight him because he had his hands up in a fighting stance.
“Baker repeatedly screamed the N-word and other obscenities, opened a passenger door, pulled one of the victims out of the car and physically attacked him," said Mustafaa Carroll, the interim executive director for the Texas chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR).
The four truck passengers, including the victim and the witness, got out of the truck and walked to the front of it. The witness said Baker approached the victim and punched him in the shoulder. A fight ensued, and Baker fell to the ground.
According to the affidavit, the three friends then backed away from Baker, but he got back up to continue the fight. Multiple punches were thrown, and Baker ended up back on the ground as the friends again backed up.
The witness told police Baker reached into his sweatshirt pocket and pulled out a long knife, unsheathed it and began running toward them.
When the witness turned around, he saw his friend, the victim, bleeding from his right ribs, according to the affidavit.
Zacharia Doar's father said news like this isn't only scary, but disappointing.
“The City of Austin failed to protect my son. Greg Abbott failed to protect his citizen," Nazir Doar said. “The first thing that came to my mind is, 'I'm going to lose my son.' He just had his baby, his wife. I was thinking, 'How am I going to tell them that I failed to protect my son?'”
The witness told police that after he was stabbed, Zacharia Doar wrestled Baker to the ground and got the knife away from Baker. The witness then grabbed the knife and sheath from the street and put them in the truck's front seat. Police arrived shortly after and Baker was arrested, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit states that an interview with Zacharia Doar and video evidence from another witness corroborated this account of the events.
The affidavit also states that throughout most of his interview with police, Baker claimed he didn't know why he was speaking to detectives. He then admitted to being an alcoholic and to having drank "more than the normal amount of alcohol for him" that night. The affidavit also states that Baker had what appeared to be drying blood on his face, but he couldn't tell detectives who the blood belonged to or how it got there.
At one point during the interview, the affidavit states that Baker began patting down his body and asking police where his "Ka-Bar" was located. When police asked him if he was looking for his knife, Baker said "yes."
Baker has been booked into the Travis County Jail. He faces an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge.
Hate Crimes Review Committee now investigating
On Monday, the local chapter of CAIR called for hate crime charges to be filed against Baker. CAIR said Baker attacked the group after a pro-Palestine rally downtown.
Carroll said Islamophobia and attacks are at an all-time high.
“A civil rights report shows that there's been over 3,000 complaints of anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian, issues within the last three months, since Oct. 7. This is over a 200% increase from this time last year," Carroll said.
APD said Tuesday that based on the information investigators have received, they believe the stabbing was "bias-motivated." It will be reviewed by the department's Hate Crimes Review Committee.
Once the committee reviews the details of the case, the information will be provided to the Travis County District Attorney's Office and/or the County Attorney's Office. APD said it is up to the prosecuting office to enhance the offense to a bias-motivated crime, not the police department.
"We encourage everyone to educate, support, and respect all members of our community, regardless of their background or beliefs. We strongly condemn all forms of crime, especially those which are bias-motivated or showing of discrimination," APD said. "Our Department is committed to keeping our community safe and inclusive for all. We will continue to work to ensure that our community is a place where everyone feels valued and respected."
APD also reminded residents that the City of Austin has tools and resources available online to report hate crimes and incidents called the " We All Belong Campaign".
The father of the stabbing victim told CAIR he has undergone a successful surgery and said he was recovering at the hospital as of Monday.
SafeHorns, an organization focused on safety issues at UT, has offered support to students who witnessed the stabbing.
Councilmember Zohaib 'Zo' Qadri responds
Austin City Council member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri sent KVUE the following statement in response to the stabbing:
"I had the opportunity to meet with the victim this morning. I was touched by his strength and resolve in the face of the worst kind of adversity. My thoughts are with the individual and his family and I am thankful for the Good Samaritan who rendered aid.
"My prayers are for peace for both Muslim and Jewish Austinites in a time when Islamophobia and antisemitism are running rampant in our community. We have seen a recent rise in hate across the country which is leading to horrific violence. We must, together, stand against all forms of hate.
"I have heard from Austin Police Department that this crime is being reviewed as a bias-motivated crime and that it will be reviewed by the Hate Crimes Review Committee. I look forward to having all details of this horrible incident come to light and pray that justice is served.
"As an elected official, it’s important to speak up against hate in our community. I’m grateful for Council Member Alison Alter and Congressman Greg Casar for speaking up."