(Photo by Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Virginia City, Nevada, is in the middle of a social media firestorm! Over the weekend, Ricky Johnson, a Black man, shared a video of a white man threatening him with a “hanging tree.” Now, city officials, the local sheriff’s office, Nevada’s Attorney General, and Hot August Nights coordinators are sharing their stance on what went down.
As mentioned, Johnson first brought the filmed confrontation to the internet via his Instagram and TikTok on August 2. It occurred that same day during the annual car event, Hot August Nights.
The clip starts with Johnson telling a white man in a black T-shirt and jeans with a salt-and-pepper comb-over to “keep talking.” The man sticks both middle fingers up at Johnson’s camera as Ricky continues to press him about an alleged “hanging tree” comment.
“And where the tree to hang people at? Where its at? Where is the hanging tree at?” Uncle Ricky asked. The white man then responded, “In your backyard.”
After the white man’s response, another white man wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat slapped him on the shoulder. When someone tried to interrupt Ricky, he said, “No, no, no, he just said there’s a hanging tree down there to hang people like me. That’s racist. That is racist.”
The white man in the black tee continued his heckling, calling Johnson a “crying motherf**ker” repeatedly.
“That is f**king horrible of you, I’m doing a job, and I did not disrespect you, not once, Ricky Johnson yelled at the man, who responded, “Oh, man. Come on, get outta here, get the f**k out of here.”
At that point, an emotional Uncle Ricky yelled back, “Man, you know what f**k you, and I’m not leaving. Make me leave, motherf**ker, cause I…”
“I don’t make trash; I burn it,” the white man said, interrupting Uncle Ricky before taking a seat on a folding chair. Meanwhile, at least three surrounding white men affirmed the behavior with laughs.
Later, the white man in the black tee’s daughter and wife, who identified themselves as such, joined the situation. The daughter yells, “Do you know where you are? Do you know the history of the town?” while the wife pushes up against Johnson, edging him away from her husband. While Johnson repeatedly asks her not to touch him, she continues to do so, claiming she loves him and he’s her “brother.” Eventually, Ricky Johnson ends up speaking to a local officer.
Swipe below to see the events described above.
As Uncle Ricky’s video spread online, local officials took to social platforms to clear the air on their stance on the white man and his family’s behavior.
Note that social media users, including Danesh, who is known for doing this, have identified the man and his wife as Gary Miller and Janis Cusack-Miller and the daughter as Tiffany Miller Ruiz. However, statements from the parties mentioned above do not identify them by name.
Virginia City’s statement labeled the comments towards Ricky Johnson “hateful and racist.” In addition, the city’s Tourism Commission called the behavior “abhorrent and inexcusable.”
“Virginia City is an incredible historic town with vibrant events and a welcoming atmosphere. We stand wholly against any acts of hatred, racism or violence,” the statement said, adding that it was working with merchants and event partners to create an “inclusive” community.
Meanwhile, the Storey County Sheriff’s Office said it doesn’t “condone or support racism, inequality or hate speech.” The agency also said it’s begun investigating the incident as a case and asked for the public’s patience with the process.
Hot August Nights shared two statements about the incident on its website. The first, on August 3, said the “inexcusable” incident was not reflective of the event’s “classic car culture and community.” The second, on August 4, revealed that they’ve identified “the individuals featured in the viral video” and “revoked” their Hot August Nights registrations.
“We want to clarify that there were no Hot August Nights representatives, volunteers, or staff present in the video or involved in the situation. The individuals wearing Hot August Nights badges are event participants. Following the event, Hot August Nights will further evaluate the Virginia City venue.”
Nevada’s Attorney General Aaron D. Ford also issued a statement about the Virginia City incident. Ford condemned the behavior in the viral video, adding that “such hate does not represent the values we hold here in Nevada.” Additionally, AG Ford revealed that he’s reached out to Sheriff Cullen to offer his “support” in the investigation.
On August 3, Firehouse Saloon also issued a statement about its proximity to the incident with Johnson and the Millers. To be clear, social media users have been destroying the business on its social platforms and Yelp, driving it down to a one-star rating. The business is being linked to the incident because the daughter and wife, Tiffany and Janis, were wearing shirts with the business name and logo in the viral video.
On Facebook, Firehouse Saloon clarified that they are not the people seen harassing Ricky Johnson. Additionally, the business said it “supports everyone” and does not “discriminate.” However, previous posts on their Facebook page identify the Millers as their landlords and possibly close friends. Swipe below to peep.
Meanwhile, Johnson gave an update on his mental state following the incident. He further explained why he was visiting Virginia City and thanked online supporters for having his back.
