Novato resident accused of hate crime in parking space dispute with neighbor
A Novato resident was arrested for an alleged hate crime after a nasty dispute with his neighbor over a parking space, authorities said.
The dispute happened in the city's Olive Avenue neighborhood. Novato police the victim reported that 64-year-old Douglas Shannon threatened to shoot the victim during the disagreement over the parking space. Shannon also allegedly made threats to notify authorities that the victim was in the US illegally, an assumption based on the victim's race, police said.
Following an investigation, officers arrested Shannon for suspicion of a hate crime took him into custody. Shannon also surrendered a legally-owned and registered firearm from inside his home which was not used during this incident.
Police said the gun was taken to ensure the safety of the involved parties and officers later obtained a Gun Violence Restraining Order temporarily prohibiting Shannon from possessing firearms because of the incident.
Shannon booked at Marin County Jail.
Novato police said members of the community can report hate crimes in an emergency by calling 9-1-1 or in a non-emergency situation by contacting dispatchers at 415-897-1122. Hate incidents can also be reported online at novato.org/hateincident
Anyone with information about this case was asked to contact the Novato Police Department and reference case #24-1040.