Jeremy Joseph Christian, the Portland man accused of stabbing two men to death after they defended a young Muslim girl from his abuse, has used his first court appearance to hurl some more wild invectives.
After being ushered into the courtroom, Christian yelled “free speech or die, Portland. You’ve got no safe place.” Shortly after, he called out “death to the enemies of America. Leave this country if you hate out freedoms. Death to Antifa.”
Before being taken taken back out, Christian said “you call it terrorism, I call it patriotism. You hear me? Die.”
Before being taken taken back out, Christian said “you call it terrorism, I call it patriotism. You hear me? Die.”
Christian stands accused of murdering Taliesin Namkai-Meche and Ricky Best, and of severely wounding Micah David-Cole Fletcher, all three of whom tried to stop him from verbally abusing a teenager wearing a hijab.
Destinee Mangum, a 16-year-old friend of the girl who was also on the Portland train at the time of the incident, thanked the men “because they didn’t even know me and they lost their lives because of me and my friend and the way we look.”
Destinee Mangum, one of the targets of hate speech on a MAX train, thanks strangers for saving her life. pic.twitter.com/sefmOAyIVt
— FOX 12 Oregon KPTV (@fox12oregon) May 28, 2017
Christian is set to face court again on June 7.
