A man claiming to be a member of the Aryan Nation, a white nationalist group, was charged with battery and disorderly conduct after yelling out racial slurs and assaulting a man Thursday evening.
The victim was waiting for his food at Pili's Party Taco truck, which was parked near Fourth and Walnut streets. The man, Paul Farrow, walked up to the victim and punched him in the chest, and yelled a racial slur at him, saying he should go back to where he belongs. Farrow left after that incident.
Bloomington Police officers later arrived and spoke with food vendors. They were able to identify Farrow after reviewing security camera footage.
Police located Farrow at the Irish Lion and spoke to him there. His description perfectly matched the video and information provided by witnesses, BPD Capt. Steve Kellams said.
When officers asked Farrow about the incident, he told them he was a member of the Aryan Nation. He then insulted officers with further racial epithets. While police were handcuffing Farrow and taking him out of the Irish Lion, he began yelling more racial slurs at nearby bystanders.
He was then arrested for battery and disorderly conduct, and was taken to the Monroe County Correctional Center.
He was not arrested for a hate crime charge as Indiana does not currently have a hate crime law. Kellams said BPD followed the standards set up by Uniform Criminal Reporting, and that the incident would have been classified as a hate crime under those guidelines.
Farrow has a previous criminal record dating from 2012, when he was arrested for arson. He had been kicked out of Night Moves nightclub and set one of the dancer's car on fire.
