A San Diego man screamed racial epithets, yelled “white power” and told police officers that he was going to “make sure the good-ole boys come to Menlo Park and shoot the officers” while he was being arrested this week
Cole Hoffman, 34, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to felony charges of making criminal threats, resisting arrest and vandalism stemming from the incident in Tuesday afternoon, according to the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Hoffman had been vandalizing cars parked on Bohannon Avenue in Menlo Park when a 34-year-old man confronted him after watching Hoffman damage the fender of the man’s car.
Hoffman called the 34-year-old, who is black, “numerous racial epithets,” according to the district attorney’s office. He also yelled “white power” and threatened to stab the man, authorities said.
Hoffman vandalized 10 cars in all, according to prosecutors, by smashing their windows, kicking dents into them and damaging wipers.
Hoffman later shouted slurs at an African-American security guard and other onlookers, authorities said.
Officers who responded to the call had to chase Hoffman and struggled to get him into custody, prosecutors said.
According to the district attorney’s office, Hoffman also threatened to kill people who had the same name as the officer who arrested him.
Hoffman is in jail on $200,000 bail. He is due back in court May 7 for a preliminary hearing.