BLOOMINGTON – Below is a statement from the Bloomington Common Council condemning the racially-motivated attack against an Asian-American member of the Bloomington community on January 11, 2023.
An Indiana University student was stabbed in the head while riding a bus in Bloomington in an unprovoked attack that officials described as a “racially motivated incident.”
The student, an 18-year-old woman who was not publicly identified, was waiting for the Bloomington Transit bus’s doors to open at 4:45 p.m. when she was stabbed in the head several times.
After the attack, another bus passenger followed the suspect on foot and helped officers detain Billie R. Davis, 56, of Bloomington. Davis was charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, and battery with a deadly weapon, according to court documents.
Video footage from inside the bus revealed that Davis and the victim had not interacted before the attack.
The following statement was read at the Bloomington City Council’s January 18th meeting and was supported by all nine members.
On January 11, 2023, we learned of the racially motivated attack against an Asian-American woman on one of our city buses.
We condemn this crime unequivocally. Like many of our neighbors and colleagues, we are shocked by this incident, and we are deeply concerned about a climate in which some of our residents feel unsafe.
We stand by Common Council Resolution 20-06, Denouncing and Condemning White Nationalism and White Supremacy, which we adopted unanimously on May 6, 2020. Initiated and sponsored by Councilmember Sims, and co-sponsored by all nine councilmembers, this Resolution condemns white nationalism, white supremacy, bigotry, racism, and hatred while upholding values of equity, inclusivity, respect, and kindness.
Together, as members of the Bloomington Common Council, we condemn racism, the violence it begets, and the ignorance and fear on which it is based. We affirm our support for the Asian and Asian-American community here, and for all persons of color.
We are determined to lead with integrity and to do all we can as elected officials to ensure that Bloomington truly reflects the diversity, equity, and inclusiveness that we value so deeply.
The following member of the City of Bloomington Common Council signed the letter:
- Matt Flaherty – Council Member At Large
- Isabel Piedmont-Smith – District 5 Representative
- Dave Rollo – District 4 Representative
- Kate Rosenbarger – District 1 Representative
- Susan Sandberg – Council Member At Large
- Sue Sgambelluri – District 2 Representative
- Jim Sims – Council Member At Large
- Ron Smith – District 3 Representative
- Stephen Volan – District 6 Representative
