Police are looking for a white man and woman who vandalized a city-sanctioned "Black Lives Matter" mural in Martinez, California, on the Fourth of July.
Video footage widely circulated on social media shows the woman painting over the words of the titular racial injustice movement using a roller on the street in front of the city courthouse while the man argues with a group of onlookers.
'We're Sick of This Narrative'
"Keep that shit in f-----g New York. It's not happening in my town," the woman says at one point as she pours the can of black paint over the mural. When one witness asks the woman "what's wrong with you," her partner responds by saying "we're sick of this narrative, that's what is wrong."
"The narrative of police brutality, the narrative of oppression, the narrative of racism, it's a lie," the man, who is also filming with his cellphone adds before pointing to the Black Lives Matter sign and calling it "racism." Both the man and the woman appeared to wear "Make American Great Again" apparel. Watch the video below:
Wanted by Police
The Martinez Police Department is now seeking the public's help to identify the couple so they can be "held accountable for their actions," Martinez Police Chief Manjit Sappal said in a Sunday press release.
"The community spent a considerable amount of time putting the mural together only to have it painted over in a hateful and senseless manner," the release said. "The City of Martinez values tolerance and the damage to the mural was divisive and hurtful."
Sappal also confirmed that the mural was painted after community members had obtained the necessary permits. Similar murals have been painted across the country, including in cities such as Washington, D.C., and New York, to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd and other African Americans at the hands of law enforcement.
Social Media Tracks Them Down
The Martinez police said the man and woman were gone by the time they arrived at the scene. However, witnesses were able to provide them with a photo of their vehicle, a white Nissan pickup truck with the word "Nicole" on the right side of the tailgate. The truck also had a camper shell and a 52701B1 license plate.
Shortly after the video went viral, the internet did its thing and managed to identify the woman, dubbed as "paint-roller Karen" and her husband. The woman was revealed to be Nicole C Anderson and the man, Mark Anderson. As described by police, the woman's name was written across the vehicle's rear.
A Twitter user also shared a screenshot of the woman's comment on the viral video saying she was just "peacefully protesting."
