A Black And White Killing: The Case That Shook America

In 2016, outside a convenience store in Portland, Oregon, Russel Courtier, a member of white supremacist gang European Kindred, ran over and killed a young black man called Larnell Bruce. CCTV footage of the incident went viral and shocked America - not just because of its brutality, but because of the question at its heart: was Larnell Bruce killed because he was black? The events of that night aren’t disputed, but Courtier’s motivation was, and the jury had to decide if Larnell Bruce was killed because he was black In search of an answer, journalist Mobeen Azhar travels to Oregon to follow the trial and to delve deep into the heart of America’s far right movement. As the scars of racial injustice still run deep across the US, Larnell Bruce’s death soon became part of a very public battle about decades of racial tension rather than what happened to one young black man. Whilst a jury is asked to decide whether Courtier’s actions were affected by racist thoughts as he put his foot on the pedal, the whole of America watches and waits for the verdict. Uncovering a dark underbelly to the apparently liberal city of Portland, Mobeen comes face to face with neo-Nazis, and meets with members and former members of the European Kindred group. In the series, Mobeen also meets with some of the witnesses to the killing, and get to know the families of the defendant and the victim. Meanwhile in the court, as the prosecution produces a body of evidence, including the European Kindred cap worn by Courtier, the gang tattoo on his leg and crucial testimony from eye-witnesses, Courtier’s fate begins to look sealed. But in a dramatic twist the trial is flipped on its head, and it soon becomes clear that the case is anything but black and white.

As the trial of Russel Courtier continues, Mobeen seeks to understand the complications surrounding the lives and behaviour of the perpetrator and the victim. Back in court, Mobeen sees first-hand the possible threat of gang intimidation, when a reluctant eye-witness struggles to remember the events of the night. The threat of gang violence takes him deep into the racially-segregated American prison system which gave birth to European Kindred. Here Mobeen confronts members of the racist gang and comes to terms with the brainwashing effect that gang membership can have on young men. At this point, the courtroom drama takes another twist when Russell Courtier’s girlfriend, who was in the car at the time of the incident and encouraged him to run Larnell Bruce over, makes a surprising decision. Back on the street, Mobeen meets with a European Kindred member who is willing to break ranks with the gang and explain how they operate. Just before the lawyers give their closing statements in court, Mobeen has a breakthrough by meeting the defendant’s parents and brother, and discovering if they think their son could be racist. Eventually Mobeen watches as the jury deliver its verdict. For Courtier to be guilty of intentionally killing Larnell Bruce, all 12 members of the jury must agree. And separately, they must also decide if it was a hate crime. The state of Oregon - and America as a whole - awaits a verdict that is now as much about decades of racial injustice as it is the death of one young man.