Police investigating possible racial motivations for attack at local bar

AVALON, Pa. — Avalon police are investigating what they believe was a racially motivated attack at a bar in Avalon.

Police said it happened at the Jackman Inn last Saturday.

The victim's lawyer said the victim was there to drop off a thank-you card to the kitchen manager.

During that time, the general manager said there were about 15 men and women who appeared to be a part of a hate group and one was allegedly wearing a shirt with hate speech on it.

Channel 11 was told several members of the group began yelling racial slurs at the victim calling him the N-word.

The general manager said the bartender told the group to leave.

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The victim's lawyer Fred Rabner said his client tried to leave but was attacked by about six people. We are told they ran down the back stairs of the bar and took off.

The head chef allegedly tried to pull some of the men off the victim but we are told he was assaulted as a result of that.

"I'm trying to get people off of him. I'm getting hit. Dude hits me with a bottle," said Javon Jenkins, the head chef at the Jackman Inn.

"Everytime I retaliated I was getting blows from everywhere," said Paul Morris, who said he was attacked.

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Rabner said there were several witnesses and he wants to know why charges are taking so long.

"I'm not here as a paid lawyer. I'm not here filing a lawsuit. I'm here making sure that he gets justice," Rabner said.

The police chief said charges will be filed later this week and said one of those charges could include ethnic intimidation. Police also said more charges could come on top of that because of some incidents that allegedly happened at another bar.

Cox Media Group