LONGMONT, Colo. -- The Longmont Police Department confirmed Saturday afternoon it had spoken with the person officers believe is responsible for placing nearly a dozen flyers with racist language on the entrances to several downtown businesses.
The flyer contains the N-word, a line that reads "PEOPLE IF [sic] COLOR ARE NOT WORTHY," and a number to Allstate Insurance.
Heather Castle and Raj Murphy were having a date night Thursday at Quarters Bar+Arcade on Main Street when they made the discovery.
"I went outside to get some air and I saw the paper kind of like hit the ground," Murphy said. "Somebody grabbed it and looked at it, and it was not just your regular flyer."
What they saw on the flyer left them angry, and they quickly took them down.
"It's frustrating that people will feel like they have this platform and the space in today's world to be able to say these hateful things and get away with it," Murphy said.
In total, Longmont police recovered 11 flyers.
A spokesperson for the Boulder County District Attorney's Office called it "disgusting" and a "deplorable act" but said no charges will be filed because the person's actions are protected under the First Amendment.
The City of Longmont's City Manager's Office and the Longmont Downtown Development Authority released the following statement Friday:
“This kind of hateful and racist messaging has no place in our community. We consider the diversity of our community an important asset and what makes the Longmont community so special. We share a collective commitment to building community by engaging and learning to bridge cultural differences that value diversity and inclusion among the Longmont community, not tear them down.”
Still, Castle and Murphy want their community to know the language in the flyer and the person's actions are not welcome in Longmont.
"People of color, people with differences, you are not alone and you should not be scared," Murphy said. "Do not let these people win by putting fear in your heart."
Police have not released the person's identity.