Black Veteran Says His Vote for Trump Is 'Solidified' After Rioters Fire Gun at His Cafe
A black Portland business owner and military veteran says his plans to cast his vote in the upcoming presidential race for President Donald Trump were “solidified” after his restaurant was hit with gunfire Sunday over what he says is its police-friendly stance.
John Jackson, the owner of Heroes American Cafe’s downtown Portland location, told Fox News this week that while he voted with hesitation for Trump in the 2016 election, he plans to vote for the president without question this year after his business was targeted on Portland’s “Day of Rage.”
“This [attack on his cafe] solidified my Trump vote,” said Jackson, who Fox News reported served in both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. “I’m done with this weakness and we need some real strong leadership.”
According to Fox, the Twitter account @DublinPDX fired its figurative warning shots in a tweet at Heroes American Cafe on Oct. 8, reportedly slamming the eatery for donating proceeds “to their heroes … cops.”
The Oregonian reported that Jackson received another forewarning of the ambush on the same day, with a phone call informing his business partner at one of their shops to expect repercussions for their backing of police personnel.
“We kind of dismissed it as ‘whatever,'” Jackson told the outlet.
But then, rioters allegedly shot out two of Heroes American Cafe’s windows on Sunday, and smashed a third with what Fox News reported was a “blunt object — possibly a baseball bat.”
“It looked like a planned thing because they called us on Thursday and threatened us,” Jackson told The Oregonian.
“Whoever is doing it, whether it’s agitators or whoever it might be, they’re doing a disservice to everyone,” he added KPTV in reference to the attack on his restaurant.
KPTV reporter Brenna Kelly said the events of Sunday in Portland “might have been the most destructive night in the city since the riots began in May.”
The driving rain that night, Kelly added, didn’t deter rioters from engaging in a crime binge that stemmed from their “Indigenous People’s Day of Rage.” Demonstrators gathered in the South Park Blocks of Portland, and ended up toppling statues of Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.
That destruction came in addition to the two souvenir bullet holes left in Heroes American Cafe’s rear wall.
Earlier that day, Jackson said he sat with his son at a table adjacent to one of the windows pierced with a bullet, which he believes would have struck him had he still been sitting there when the cafe was fired at.
Jackson told KPTV that Portland police were unable to respond to the scene that night and started their investigation on Monday. He said the attacks won’t deter Heroes American Cafe from continuing its support of police.
“We’re for all heroes and we don’t support zeroes,” Jackson told Fox. “So if you’re a bad cop, we don’t really have time for you. If you’re walking your beat and you’re taking care of your people or you’re saving lives, we love you.”
KPTV reported that the business reopened on the Monday after the attack, with plywood still covering its windows.
“We’re not changing what we do because of things that are to me, kind of terroristic in approach,” Jackson said. “We’re just not yielding to any of that.”
In another interview with KOIN-TV, Jackson said he expected to shell out about $3,000 to replace the damaged windows.
Heroes American Cafe Owner John Jackson: “It’s extremely tough, probably the toughest time in small business history right now. Just making it day today is tough enough without $3,000 worth of glass (damage) on top of it. #koin6news #PDX #PNW #Oregon #Portland #protests #riot pic.twitter.com/evULjxLsaZ
— Jennifer Dowling (@JenDowlingKoin6) October 12, 2020
The rash of violence in Portland is a turnaround from a decade ago, Jackson told Fox News.
“When I first came here about 10 years ago, it was one of the most accepting cities that I knew of,” he said.
Trump responded to the Portland riots, retweeting two videos of some of the destruction on Monday.
“These are Biden fools. ANTIFA RADICALS. Get them FBI, and get them now!” Trump wrote in retweeting a video of the toppled Lincoln statue.
These are Biden fools. ANTIFA RADICALS. Get them FBI, and get them now! https://t.co/RI9fH6sC1g
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020
Taking advantage of fools. Law & Order! Portland, call in the Feds! https://t.co/rJl9IVxdMM
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2020
Referring to the other video, which showed the smashed windows of the Portland State University campus’ public safety office, Trump wrote, “Taking advantage of fools. Law & Order! Portland, call in the Feds!”
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