FBI Investigating Hateful Flyers in Palmdale

PALMDALE, Oct. 19, 2007 (KABC) -- Messages of hate were left in one local neighborhood -- leaflets, showing a hangman's noose and the letters KKK.

The FBI has joined the search for whoever is responsible.

The leaflets were found in a Palmdale neighborhood that is home to many African Americans. It's also near a high school that was the scene of a controversial incident recently, involving racial allegations.

We showed the flyer to residents and they found it racist and despicable. Detectives in Palmdale want to know who's responsible for it.

Sheriff detectives along with the FBI are searching for the source of the flyer.

"(It) depicts what seems to be two figures of Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton hanging from a tree with some quotes saying 'nappy headed pimps, get out of the Antelope Valley' and it's signed by the KKK at the bottom," Darren Parker, of the Antelope Valley Human Relations Task Force, said.

Parker said several of the flyers were placed on the windshields of cars near Pete Knight High School in Palmdale.

Al Sharpton plans to attend upcoming rallies in Palmdale on the heels of the Pete Knight High School incident several weeks ago. Pete Knight High School security guard Chris Niemeyer has been cleared of any wrongdoing in detaining student Pleajhia Mervin during an altercation over fallen cake.

There have been several rallies by African American activists since the controversial incident, and now this.

"I received information regarding these flyers on Monday morning from a concerned resident who is a neighborhood watch captain in one of the neighborhoods that surrounds Pete Knight High. It is our assumption that sometime between Sunday evening and Monday morning, that these flyers were distributed on community vehicles in that neighborhood," Parker said.

Christopher Keeling is a hate crimes task force investigator for the sheriff's department and the FBI.

"It's unfortunate that someone would go out and put a flyer out like that. It was my understanding that the first flyer that was found was a clear depiction of Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton, but because it's been faxed and copied so many times now, it's pretty much a blur at this point," Keeling said.

We showed the flyer to residents.

"I think it's racist, I think it's sick," Cassandra Wagner, a resident, said.

"I don't like it, I'm not racist though, I don't like it," Toni, a resident, said.

"At this point we don't know, we're trying to identify the source ... it could be a special interest group, a KKK, a white supremacist group. It also could be on the other side as well. Trying to stir up the pot," Keeling said.

Stallworth: "What's the other side?"

Keeling: "The other side being it could be other activists, black activists that could be trying to excite other people."

City officials say they do not know how many of the flyers were put out there. They say it could have been dozen. However, they say one was too many.

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