Racist Graffiti Sprayer Caught, Not Charged By Royal Oak Police

ROYAL OAK, MI — The Royal Oak Police Department has identified but will not charge the person responsible for spray painting swastikas and the phrase "white power" early Sunday morning in a neighborhood east of Woodward Avenue and north of 11 Mile Road Road.

“It became obvious to investigators the individual in question was in need of immediate help for what seems to be serious mental health issues,” Royal Oak Police said in a statement Tuesday. Police said the person is currently being psychologically evaluated.

A total of seven homes were defiled in the early morning hours of Sunday. Police were first called to a home in the 500 block of Woodcrest just and then discovered six more homes had been vandalized.

“This crime appears to be a cry for help from a very troubled individual,” Royal Oak Police said. “Crimes of this nature are extremely rare in Royal Oak and are not a reflection of our community.

“Make no mistake, the Royal Oak Police Department will aggressively investigate any instance of individuals threatening or intimidating our residents or guests. In this case, however, the motivation of the individual responsible was not what might seem obvious by the hateful message.”

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Police updated Royal Oak residents about the incident Tuesday afternoon via its Facebook page. Most comments from residents were supportive of the department’s decision.

“Thank you, ROPD, for this compassionate response,” wrote David Musselwhite. “You're demonstrating the level of kindness and care representative of Royal Oak.”

“It is so important to help people with mental illness and this bad issue has had a compassionate outcome and we need so much more of this nowadays,” added Carol Schwanger.

Royal Oak Mayor Michael Fournier thanked the police department for a speedy conclusion to the investigation, also in a Facebook post.

“The actions of our Police Department and the outpouring of community support underscore Royal Oak’s commitment to being a welcoming and tolerant city,” Fournier wrote. “While the actions of the responsible person cannot be excused, we hope he receives the psychiatric care he desperately needs. Royal Oak will always embrace diversity, inclusion and compassion.”

File photo