Officers conducting an inquiry into racist acts targeting the Utah women’s basketball team while they were in close proximity to their Idaho hotel during their visit to town last month for the NCAA Tournament have uncovered an audio clip that clearly contains the use of a racial slur.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department stated that it is currently investigating the “context and conduct” related to the use of the slur to ascertain whether there was a legal violation. The police are currently examining the evidence from the occurrences that occurred on March 21. However, it seems that a racial slur was employed multiple times.
The police have gathered approximately 35 hours of video footage from local establishments, which supports the accounts provided by participants of the basketball team. The police have stated that officers are actively searching for any supplementary evidence and gathering information regarding the suspects. Investigators are also endeavoring to ascertain the identity of a silver vehicle that was present in the vicinity at that period.
According to Utes coach Lynne Roberts, after Utah’s defeat against Gonzaga in the second round of the tournament on March 25, her squad encountered a sequence of hate crimes after they arrived at the hotel in Coeur d’Alene. In Spokane, Washington, Utah and other teams participated in their respective games, while the Utes opted to remain approximately 35 miles away in Coeur d’Alene.
According to Roberts, the incidents that occurred on March 21 caused significant distress and apprehension among players and coaches, prompting them to relocate to an alternative hotel the next day.
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In a statement released on March 26, university athletic authorities reported that as program participants were walking to dinner near their hotel, a car passed by and they were subjected to racial epithets. Subsequently, while returning to the hotel, a vehicle gradually passed by, and the engine was cranked while the passengers once again vociferously uttered racially derogatory remarks and made threats.
According to the statement, a significant number of students, workers, and other individuals comprising the traveling party experienced profound distress and apprehension following the occurrences.
According to the university authorities, a police report was submitted on March 21 after the occurrences, and they are currently collaborating with relevant authorities in the ongoing investigation. A university spokesperson stated on Thursday that they had no further remarks other from the statement made last week.
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According to Coeur d’Alene police chief Lee White, approximately 100 individuals were present in the vicinity throughout the night of the occurrences. According to his statement, there exist two potential state charges that may be pursued in the event of an arrest, namely malicious harassment and disorderly conduct. White additionally stated that he was collaborating with the FBI.
Last week, when a resolution condemning racism and hate speech concerning the occurrences involving the Utah team was presented in the Idaho Senate, many Republican senators voiced skepticism or claimed to be uninformed of the circumstances. The resolution was approved after a 30-minute debate.