'I just want justice': Father of victim, NAACP say assault in Des Moines was racially motivated

Andrea May Sahouri
Des Moines Register

A Des Moines man says he was assaulted by three white men early Saturday morning in a racially motivated attack on the city's south side, and members of the NAACP at a news conference Sunday advised black residents to be on high alert in light of recent incidents both locally and nationally.

DarQuan Jones, 22, said he was on his way to his girlfriend's house when he was assaulted by the suspects at about 3:25 a.m. Saturday in the 5200 block of South Union Street, according to a police report.

At least one of the suspects made racist comments during the assault, Jones told police.

When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Jones lying on the ground with significant, non-life-threatening injuries to the left side of his face, eye and hands. He was transported to a local hospital.

Daryl Jones Jr., DarQuan's father, said the men had put his son in a choke-hold and broke multiple bones.

"They broke my son's face in five places. Five," Daryl Jones Jr. said to a large crowd of community members, who attended in support of his son and stood outside the 2:30 p.m. news conference at the Mickle Center.

A news conference is held on Sunday, May 17, 2020, to discuss the assault of DarQuan Jones, 22 of Des Moines. Police have not yet determined a motive to the attack, but the victim says at least one suspect used racist slurs.

"(The suspects) know what they did. I don't want an uproar, I just want justice."

DarQuan Jones did not know the men who had attacked him, the police report said. 

"He said, 'Dad, why did this happen to me?' And I couldn't answer back. It brought tears to my eyes," Daryl Jones Jr. said.

Suspects not located; police continue investigation  

Daryl Jones Jr. and the NAACP of Des Moines called the attack racially motivated during Sunday's news conference. After arrests are made, they want assault charges elevated to a hate crime if detectives determine the motive of the assault was fueled by racism, they said.

"After speaking with Quan, his family, and the witnesses that have come forward, if the story is as they state it is, then what occurred yesterday should be nothing less than a hate crime," said Kameron Middlebrooks, president of the NAACP in Des Moines.

Middlebrooks stated several racial slurs that DarQuan Jones said the men had used against him during the assault.

"(DarQuan Jones) nearly had his life taken. If it wasn't for two witnesses that came to his aid, we could have been working with the family on funeral arrangements."

Kameron Middlebrooks, president of the NAACP's Des Moines chapter, speaks to the press on Sunday, May 17, 2020, about the assault of DarQuan Jones in Des Moines. Police have not yet determined a motive to the attack, but the victim says at least one suspect used racist slurs.

Police, while acknowledging racist comments were allegedly made during the assault, aren't calling the assault racially motivated until further investigation is conducted.

"Our detectives are continuing to investigate this case," spokesman for the Des Moines Police Department Sgt. Paul Parizek said. "We do not want to compromise the integrity of the case or tip potential suspects to our progress.

"Bottom line for us is that he was hurt bad, and we want to find the people responsible. We need to find them before we can determine a motive."

Des Moines Police Maj. Stephen Waymire said at the news conference that the case is a high priority for the department and officers hope to have the case resolved as soon as possible.

Maj. Steve Waymire, Des Moines police, speaks to the press Sunday, May 17, 2020, about the assault of DarQuan Jones in Des Moines. Police have not yet determined a motive to the attack, but the victim says at least one suspect used racist slurs.

The suspects had not been located as of Sunday afternoon.

Tyia Campbell, 40, was in an apartment nearby celebrating a friend's birthday when she heard DarQuan Jones screaming for help outside. Campbell and her friends went to see what was going on and discovered DarQuan Jones badly beaten.

"He told us (the suspects) were trying to kill him," Campbell said. "He was bloody. He said he couldn't breathe and thought he was dying."

Campbell said the suspects were calling DarQuan Jones, her and her friends slurs and yelled, “get out of our area, we're going to get all of you out of here."

Campbell and her friends called the police for the victim.

"I held his hand until the ambulance came," she said. "I just hope he's OK."

Daryl Jones Jr. said his son is at home recovering, happy to be alive.

Daryl Jones Jr. speaks about his 22-year-old son DarQuan Jones, who was assaulted in Des Moines Saturday, during a news conference attended by representatives of the NAACP and Des Moines Police, on Sunday, May 17, 2020, in Des Moines. Police have not yet determined a motive to the attack, but the victim says at least one suspect used racist slurs.

"He's in good spirits. The best thing is that he's alive with us," Daryl Jones Jr. said.

'We are done dying, and we are done being hashtags'

The NAACP of Des Moines sent out a news release Saturday evening advising black residents to be on high alert. The release also cited a virtual joint meeting between the Des Moines City Council and the Des Moines Civil and Human Rights Commission Thursday evening that was canceled when someone infiltrated the online gathering and uttered racial and sexual slurs.

"While we await the results of the police investigation, we ask for all members of the community to look out for one another." Middlebrooks wrote in the release.

"The only way that we can overcome these recent incidents is by working together. That includes us as a community working with our local government and police department.

“We strongly urge the DMPD and the city’s elected officials to investigate these attacks to bring about equitable outcomes for the victims."

Middlebrooks noted, both in the news release and at the news conference, that the assault of DarQuan Jones comes during a time of "back-to-back" violence against black communities locally and nationally.

"From Ahmaud Arbery to Breonna Taylor, recent events have shown that African-Americans nationwide are still grappling with the fatal effects of racism. Des Moines is not immune to those effects and therefore must be at the forefront of standing against racism in every form to improve the quality of life for all residents,” Middlebrooks said.

Betty Andrews, president of the Iowa-Nebraska NAACP, said the assault of DarQuan Jones is weighing heavily on the community.

Betty Andrews, Iowa-Nebraska NAACP president, speaks to the press Sunday, May 17, 2020, about the assault of DarQuan Jones in Des Moines Saturday. Police have not yet determined a motive to the attack, but the victim says at least one suspect used racist slurs.

"Last week has been very daunting for us," Andrews said. "We are done dying, and we are done being hashtags."

Daryl Jones Jr. agreed.

"I don't want my son to be a statistic."

Detectives continue to investigate the assault and are asking the public to contact the DMPD or CrimeStoppers of Central Iowa at 515-223-1400 with information regarding the crime or the suspects' whereabouts.

Andrea Sahouri covers breaking news for the Des Moines Register. She can be contacted at asahouri@registermedia.com, 515-284-8247 or on Twitter at @andreamsahouri

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