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Man Stabbed in Portland While Coming to Aid of 2 Girls Shifts Focus to Them Man Stabbed in Portland While Coming to Aid of 2 Girls Shifts Focus to Them
(about 11 hours later)
He was held up as a hero without a cape — the sort of brave, compassionate human being whose actions while on board a Portland light-rail train last week made his mother proud.He was held up as a hero without a cape — the sort of brave, compassionate human being whose actions while on board a Portland light-rail train last week made his mother proud.
By Wednesday, though, Micah David-Cole Fletcher seemed to have had enough; enough of the media spotlight, the many laudatory internet stories and even the swelling donations.By Wednesday, though, Micah David-Cole Fletcher seemed to have had enough; enough of the media spotlight, the many laudatory internet stories and even the swelling donations.
So Mr. Fletcher, 21, sat down in a room, turned on a camera and decided to speak out. He was one of at least three people who stepped in to try to stop a man’s xenophobic tirade directed at two girls on Friday. That man killed two other men, the authorities say, and Mr. Fletcher suffered a serious stab wound.So Mr. Fletcher, 21, sat down in a room, turned on a camera and decided to speak out. He was one of at least three people who stepped in to try to stop a man’s xenophobic tirade directed at two girls on Friday. That man killed two other men, the authorities say, and Mr. Fletcher suffered a serious stab wound.
But Mr. Fletcher, a Portland State University student, was worried that while he was being lionized, two other very important victims of Friday’s attack were being largely forgotten.But Mr. Fletcher, a Portland State University student, was worried that while he was being lionized, two other very important victims of Friday’s attack were being largely forgotten.
“We need to remember, this is about those little girls,” Mr. Fletcher said in a video that he posted on Facebook on Wednesday. “Just remember that, you know, they got hurt too.”“We need to remember, this is about those little girls,” Mr. Fletcher said in a video that he posted on Facebook on Wednesday. “Just remember that, you know, they got hurt too.”
During the approximately seven-minute video, Mr. Cole thanked supporters for their generosity, but worried that longstanding local attitudes and biases caused aid to flow more freely to him than to one of the girls. By Wednesday night, the video had been viewed more than 80,000 times. During the approximately seven-minute video, Mr. Fletcher thanked supporters for their generosity, but worried that longstanding local attitudes and biases caused aid to flow more freely to him than to one of the girls. By Wednesday night, the video had been viewed more than 80,000 times.
“We in Portland have this weird tendency to continue patterns that we’ve done forever, and one of them is this same old, just to put it bluntly, white savior complex,” he said. “Suffice to say, I think it’s immensely, immensely morally wrong and irresponsible how much money we have gotten as opposed to how much support, money, love, kindness, that has been given to that little girl.”“We in Portland have this weird tendency to continue patterns that we’ve done forever, and one of them is this same old, just to put it bluntly, white savior complex,” he said. “Suffice to say, I think it’s immensely, immensely morally wrong and irresponsible how much money we have gotten as opposed to how much support, money, love, kindness, that has been given to that little girl.”
Mr. Fletcher, who identified himself as a poet, expressed his misgivings less than a day after he attended the first court appearance for the man accused of the fatal attack.Mr. Fletcher, who identified himself as a poet, expressed his misgivings less than a day after he attended the first court appearance for the man accused of the fatal attack.
An affidavit filed on Tuesday also laid out new details about what happened. Prosecutors said the man charged with murder in the attack, Jeremy Joseph Christian, had shouted at two girls on the train, one described as “African-American,” and the other as an “African-American Muslim who was wearing traditional Muslim dress.”An affidavit filed on Tuesday also laid out new details about what happened. Prosecutors said the man charged with murder in the attack, Jeremy Joseph Christian, had shouted at two girls on the train, one described as “African-American,” and the other as an “African-American Muslim who was wearing traditional Muslim dress.”
During Mr. Christian’s profanity-laced tirade, which appeared to be aimed at the girls, he told them to “go home” and referred to the Islamic State and Saudi Arabia, according to the court document.During Mr. Christian’s profanity-laced tirade, which appeared to be aimed at the girls, he told them to “go home” and referred to the Islamic State and Saudi Arabia, according to the court document.
Soon after, a tussle began in which Mr. Christian and Mr. Fletcher shoved each other, the affidavit said. After Mr. Fletcher told the man to get off the train, Mr. Christian stabbed Mr. Fletcher in the neck, the documents said, before proceeding to fatally stab two other men, Ricky John Best, 53, and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23.Soon after, a tussle began in which Mr. Christian and Mr. Fletcher shoved each other, the affidavit said. After Mr. Fletcher told the man to get off the train, Mr. Christian stabbed Mr. Fletcher in the neck, the documents said, before proceeding to fatally stab two other men, Ricky John Best, 53, and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai Meche, 23.
Mr. Fletcher’s wound to the left side of his neck “missed being a fatal injury by millimeters” the documents said. He did not immediately respond to a Facebook message seeking comment on Wednesday night, and members of his family also did not respond to a phone call and an email.Mr. Fletcher’s wound to the left side of his neck “missed being a fatal injury by millimeters” the documents said. He did not immediately respond to a Facebook message seeking comment on Wednesday night, and members of his family also did not respond to a phone call and an email.
But in his video, Mr. Fletcher called on viewers to “imagine” that they were one of the girls on the train.But in his video, Mr. Fletcher called on viewers to “imagine” that they were one of the girls on the train.
“Her life is never going to be the same,” he said, before marveling that “those brave young girls” lived through Friday’s harassment and attack and yet “find ways to wake up in the morning with smiles on their faces.”“Her life is never going to be the same,” he said, before marveling that “those brave young girls” lived through Friday’s harassment and attack and yet “find ways to wake up in the morning with smiles on their faces.”