Police: Racial harassment in Coeur d’Alene corroborated, information about silver vehicle sought

Coeur d’Alene Police said Wednesday a racial slur was clearly audible in at least one audio recording from late last month when members of the University of Utah women’s basketball program reported harassment downtown.

On March 21, about 100 members of Utah athletics walked down Sherman Avenue from the Coeur d’Alene Resort, where they were staying, to get dinner downtown.

As they were walking, two lifted pickups passed by and people in the vehicle began to yell racial slurs at the nonwhite players as the drivers revved their engines, a police report filed by team donor Robert Moyer stated.

On the walk back from dinner, the group appeared to have been waiting for the team, Moyer reported, with trucks speeding up and slowing down hurling slurs.”

The incident did not become publicized until after Utah lost to Gonzaga University in the NCAA Tournament in Spokane the following Monday.

Detectives interviewed the involved parties, CdA Police said in a news release Wednesday.

They also collected approximately 35 hours of video from businesses in the area, but not all videos included audio recording, police said.

Investigators are still analyzing the footage.

Some of the video and audio corroborates reports from members of the basketball program, police said.

At least one audio recording clearly captures a racial slur, police said. The N-word appeared to have been used multiple times, Coeur d’Alene Police Capt. David Hagar said.

“We’re working (to) determine the context and conduct associated with its use to determine if (it) is a violation of the law,” the news release reads.

Detectives are trying to identify a silver passenger car that was in the area at the time of the incident.

Anyone with information related to the vehicle is asked to contact Coeur d’Alene Police at 208-769-2320 or submit a tip online.