Left Tears Woman in Viral Racist Rant to Pieces, Husband Responds with Explanation: 'It's Her Mental Illness'
The left tore a woman to pieces for a racist rant at an Arizona gas station over the weekend, all of which was caught in a viral video.
Now, according to KSAZ in Phoenix, the woman’s husband has come forward with an account indicating there’s more to the story than meets the eye.
According to the husband, the woman’s behavior was brought on by an intense paranoia she has been suffering for over a year after a break-in at the couple’s home.
Caught on camera: Woman goes viral following racist tirade at North Phoenix gas station https://t.co/Ff70Tdr1Vj pic.twitter.com/NCr8A7hnvT
— FOX 5 DC (@fox5dc) June 9, 2020
In the video, which was first posted to Facebook on Saturday, the woman, identified by The Arizona Republic as Tamara Harrian, told another woman at the gas station to “go back to Mexico.”
The second woman was identified as Karina Rodriguez, according to KSAZ.
“I was born in America, b***, where are your ancestors from?” Rodriguez said at one point.
Things escalated when Harrian grabbed Rodriguez who, in turn, slapped her.
The video went viral online, with many on the left sharing it as an example of how racism is still alive and thriving in the country today.
Thanks to Trump!!!
Racism is alive and well, this just happened at the shell gas station in Phoenix, Greenway and 7th st. This lady was supposedly the manager/owner. ****please share, let’s make her racism known. pic.twitter.com/8iXvINKSxK— TheTrueNorth (@TheTrueNorth2) June 7, 2020
Speaking with KSAZ, Bob Harrian, Tamara Harrian’s husband, revealed some important context for the video.
For over a year. his wife had been developing paranoia and signs of fabrication that she has displayed in front of family members, friends and even fellow churchgoers, Harrian told KSAZ.
The station’s report is here:
In the KSAZ video, Harrian apologizes to Rodriguez directly.
“Karina, I don’t know what to say. I’m just so sorry. I’m just so sorry that this happened. You never walked into that store thinking something like this was going to happen,” Harrian said, choking up (about the 1:18 mark in the video above).
“I understand, and I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry for what she said. It was very hateful. It was — it’s indefensible, but I just have to tell you this. It’s her mental illness. A year ago, she would never done — never have even thought of that.”
Harrian also said that a crisis management team was at their home on Monday.
According to The Arizona Republic, Harrian is an attorney with a law office in Glendale, Arizona. Since the incident involving his wife went viral, the impact on his law firm has been drastic.
Negative reviews have poured in, according to the Republic, and internet “users were able to reclassify the law firm on Google’s first page as a public restroom and briefly changed the main photo to one of a building with a sign that reads ‘CLOWN MOTEL’ in all caps.”
“Yesterday the phone lines were so busy, I couldn’t get a call in or out,” Harrian told the newspaper in an article published Wednesday.
“So many emails came into me that it crashed our email. When I opened it up this morning, I had 300 emails.”
He also stressed his regret for the encounter.
“I don’t have a racist bone in my body,” he told the Republic. “I’m very, very sorry for what happened … what my wife said and did and that whole scene. I’m very sorry.”
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