A Black food truck owner in Oregon has enlisted the help of an attorney to examine the adequacy of the government’s response following a vicious assault he endured. Darell Preston, the owner of LoRell’s Chicken Shack in Portland, was subjected to a brutal attack on June 15 while speaking on the phone with his wife. The assault, carried out by an unidentified white man whom Preston did not recognize, left him with severe injuries.
According to attorney Alicia LeDuc Montgomery, who is representing the Preston family, the attacker launched an unprovoked and relentless assault on Preston, inflicting heavy blows and shouting racial slurs. Montgomery emphasized that the family is determined to pursue justice and hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
Footage of the incident captured by a witness and provided to The Daily Beast shows a white man in a black jacket repeatedly beating and stomping on Preston, eventually knocking him to the ground. Despite passing cars honking their horns, the assailant casually walks away with his hands in his pockets after the assault.
Montgomery revealed that Preston suffered severe facial injuries, but the family alleges that when Portland police arrived at the scene, they did not call an ambulance or provide medical assistance to Preston. Instead, his wife drove him to the hospital with his face wrapped in a shirt.
However, the police spokesperson stated that when they arrived, they were informed by first responders that both the victim and the suspect had already left. They found Preston in his food cart nearby, but it took some time to convince him to come out. Although Preston initially refused to provide details about the incident and locked himself inside the food truck, detectives eventually spoke with his family, prompting a change in the investigation’s classification. The case is now being treated as a biased crime, although no arrests have been made thus far.
To support LoRell’s Chicken Shack during Preston’s inability to work, his brother-in-law launched a GoFundMe campaign, citing injuries such as a broken nose, fractured face, and lacerations to his eyes and mouth. The funds raised will be utilized for medical expenses, legal representation, and the business costs associated with Preston’s temporary inability to operate the food cart.
Attorney Montgomery expressed deep concern over the assault, which has left the community shaken and outraged. She emphasized that hate crimes and any form of violence create fear, anxiety, and vulnerability within the community. The Preston family plans to reopen LoRell’s Chicken Shack later this week, displaying resilience in the face of adversity.
