A jury in Portland, Oregon has acquitted 43-year-old Gary Edwards after he stabbed 43-year-old Gregory Howard Jr. — ruling that Edwards acted in self-defense. 
Here’s what happened:
• The incident took place July 7, 2025, near a light-rail stop in Old Town when Edwards approached Howard with a knife. Surveillance video (without audio) shows them scuffle soon after. 
• Edwards testified that Howard used a racial slur — the “N-word” — against him either just before or right when he saw him, which Edwards says provoked him. 
• Police body-camera footage reportedly captured Howard using the slur after being stabbed. 
• The defense argued the slur helped explain Howard’s perceived hostility; the prosecution insisted Edwards initiated violence. Ultimately, the jury sided with Edwards and found him not guilty of second-degree assault. 
The outcome raises serious and uncomfortable questions about race, self-defense, and how racial threats and violence intersect in the justice system.
