A Portland jury has acquitted a man who admitted to stabbing a stranger at a downtown transit station because a video showed the victim shouting a racial slur after he was attacked.
The defense argued that the slur was key to proving self-defense because the attacker thought the victim might have been racist when he stabbed him.
Multnomah County prosecutors charged 43-year-old Gary Edwards, who is black, with second-degree assault in the July 7 knife attack on white man Gregory Howard Jr.
The stabbing occurred near the Union Station MAX stop, Oregon Live reported.
Under Oregon’s Measure 11 mandatory sentencing law, Edwards faced nearly six years in state prison.
Edwards claimed he acted in self-defense because he believed Howard to be racist.
Howard denied the claim.
Jury nullification: A Portland, Ore. jury acquitted a violent black career criminal who admitted to stabbing a white man because the victim said the N-word after being stabbed. The defence argued the stabbing was self-defence against racism. pic.twitter.com/Z6O8G4RkLW
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) December 6, 2025
Transit Video Captured the Moments Before the Stabbing
Security cameras showed Edwards walking up behind Howard, who was sitting on a bench, with a fixed-blade knife in his hand.
Howard stood up and pushed Edwards when he noticed him approaching.
The brief scuffle ended when Edwards stabbed Howard in the shoulder.
Defense attorney Daniel Small argued the crucial evidence came after the stabbing.
Transit security officers recorded Howard shouting the racial slur on their body cameras after he had been stabbed.
“What other than racism could explain why Mr. Howard perceived hatred, animosity, and aggression from a complete stranger,” Small asked jurors.
Prosecutors Called the Slur Irrelevant
Deputy District Attorney Katherine Williams insisted the case had nothing to do with the slur, arguing the video clearly showed Edwards initiating the confrontation.
“The defendant is not scared for his life,” Williams said.
“He didn’t retreat, he sauntered up — and he sauntered away after he stabbed someone.
“The defendant created the situation.”
Despite the evidence, jurors ultimately sided with Edwards, acquitting him on all charges.
Both Men Have Violent Criminal Records
According to court documents:
• Edwards previously served three years for a 2020 stabbing at another MAX station.
• Howard was convicted of felony rape of a child in Washington state in 1997.
Both men are homeless.
The July stabbing occurred shortly after 9:30 a.m., according to KPTV.
The Portland Police Central Bike Squad arrested Edwards shortly after the incident.
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