DOVER, DE - Officials are reacting after a suspect was arrested for writing "KKK" throughout the city.
The Dover Police Department says it is continuing to investigate Isaiah Worthy, 28, of Dover, following his initial arrest on April 13. Following his initial arrest, Patrol Officers worked with Detectives to determine if there were any more instances of graffiti making reference to the “KKK” in the City and if there could be a connection to Worthy.
Police say their investigation revealed 6 additional instances where Worthy had used a permanent marker to deface public and/or private property. One of those involved the defacing of a sign in front of the Holy Trinity Church, 101 South New Street.
Isiah Worthy, 28, of Dover
(Courtesy: Dover Police Department)
Detectives obtained a warrant for Worthy, and on April 25, he turned himself in to the Dover Police Department. He was processed and arraigned, and ultimately released on OR bond on the following charges:
- Graffiti (6x)
- Possession of Graffiti Instrument (6x)
Based on the nature of the graffiti and the messaging used during each incident, the Dover Police Department contacted the Delaware Department of Justice Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust. Under existing Delaware DOJ guidelines, all “hate crime” determinations are made by a Deputy Attorney General assigned to the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust. According to police, in this particular case, the investigation has not yet established all of the elements needed for a successful “hate crime” prosecution.
Chief Thomas Johnson Jr. provided the following comments related to this case: “There is considerable and understandable community concern related to the vandalism of a predominantly black house of worship that includes a reference to the KKK. Hate Crimes are some of the most despicable moments in the life cycle of a community. In addition to the Dover Police Department, all of the City’s Administration, led by our elected officials, stands in solidarity with our residents to state, “there is no place for hate in Dover.” The Dover Police Department remains in close contact with the DOJ Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust as this investigation continues. "
Mayor Robin R. Christiansen has this to say: “Hate of any kind, whether it be speech or violence by anyone or any group will not, I repeat, will NOT be tolerated. I personally will use all my authority to see that any individual, or group of individuals, no matter who they are, when possible, are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law in either State or Federal Court. HATE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN THE CITY OF DOVER.”
On behalf of the Dover Police Department, Chief Thomas Johnson had the following comment. “The Dover Police Department is in alignment with the strong message of Mayor Christiansen that all potential hate crimes will be aggressively investigated and prosecuted as far as the law will allow. The Department also respects the role of the DOJ when the facts are evaluated and prosecutorial decisions are made in alignment with State Statutes and existing case law. It is noteworthy that Delaware has more protected classes codified in its hate crimes statute than those listed in Federal Law. This case presents another opportunity to reaffirm our stance against hate crimes while we wait and see what our system determines is the best assessment of the facts before us.”