CHRISTIANSBURG, Va. – The Christiansburg Police Department released details on Thursday regarding an investigation involving juveniles after inaccurate accounts of the event had been circulating.
CPD said they received a complaint on Tuesday regarding a possible act of intimidation or hate crime. The caller said multiple vehicles had driven through a neighborhood, one of which stopped in a public roadway. Reports claimed that around 5 p.m., a truck stopped along the Chelsea Loop area, a passenger jumped into the bed of the vehicle, and then began to push frozen snow and ice onto the street. Loud music with profane lyrics and racial slurs was also reported.
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Authorities said they began investigating the incident. They conducted several interviews, including an eyewitness. After some detailed investigation, they found that a group of juveniles was attending an “organized function” at a home in the area. Before leaving, the juveniles tried to clear the snow and ice out of the truck, but were unable to fully remove the snow at first. They then stopped at a later spot on the street and completed pushing out the snow.
Police said they have seen incorrect reports suggesting this may have been a targeted action, particularly towards a specific residence or a person, based on racial bias. CPD said their investigation found no evidence of criminal intent or racial bias.
The police department said they usually do not comment on investigations regarding minors, but they felt the need to comment due to a “number of inaccurate accounts of the event.” They stated some details from public figures conflict with reports from the original complainant.
Police found that none of the minors yelled any obscenities or directed any attention to homes nearby during the incident.
You can find a video of the event here, with redactions to protect the identity of the minors.