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Man faces hate crime charges after Ballard QFC attack
A 27-year-old Seattle man is in custody after allegedly targeting a grocery store worker with racial slurs and using his car as a weapon. Jack Vafi reportedly threatened to return with a gun after a confrontation at a Ballard QFC.
SEATTLE - A Seattle man remains behind bars after prosecutors say he tried to run over a Black grocery store employee before returning the next day to issue death threats.
Ballard grocery worker targeted in parking garage
What we know:
According to court documents, 27-year-old Jack Vafi began shouting racial slurs at an employee working the self-checkout line at a QFC in Ballard. The confrontation escalated in the store’s parking garage when the employee tried taking a photo of Vafi and told him he was trespassing.
Prosecutors say Vafi then got into his car, lined the vehicle up with the worker, and drove straight at him. The employee told Seattle police he had to jump out of the way to avoid being struck.
The following morning, Vafi allegedly returned to the store, telling the worker, "I don’t like you because you’re Black," threatening to return with a gun to shoot him.
Jack Vafi and his car captured on surveillance camera, pictured in court documents.
What they're saying:
During a recent court hearing, Vafi’s defense attorney argued for leniency, saying he has no criminal history. However, the judge denied the request, citing serious concerns for public safety.
"This is clearly not an isolated incident," the judge said. "I have real concerns that he is going to carry out his threats against African Americans."
The backstory:
Just one month prior to the QFC incident, King County Sheriff's deputies say Vafi pulled a knife on a Black man at a Costco. Investigators also noted similar incidents in San Diego—where he allegedly hit a flagger with his car—and in Tempe, Arizona.
Jack Vafi appears in King County court. (FOX 13 Seattle)
What's next:
Vafi has pleaded not guilty to two counts of a hate crime. He remains in custody on $50,000 bail.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the court documents filed in King County Superior Court and FOX 13 Seattle reporting