Man charged in fatal stabbing says he came to New York to kill Black men

James Harris Jackson, an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and a member of a documented hate group from Maryland, told investigators that he drove from Baltimore to New York City specifically to kill Black men.

The arrest of James Harris Jackson

The 28-year-old was arrested for fatally stabbing a Black stranger in the city on Tuesday, who has now been identified as Timothy Caughman.

“You need to arrest me. I have the knife in my coat,” James told police officers after marching into the Times Square substation, sources said. “I’m the person you’re looking for.”

He later told police he was motivated by rage against black men who get romantically involved with white women.

Motives

via NY Post:

“The reason why he picked New York was the media,” Aubry said at a press conference. “He wanted to make a statement.”

Jackson used a 26-inch mini sword to repeatedly stab Timothy Caughman, who was black, in the chest and back near the corner of Ninth Avenue and West 36th Street around 11:30 p.m. Monday.

After the stabbing, Caughman stumbled into the Midtown South Precinct for help – while Jackson went to a nearby restaurant to clean the blood off himself in a bathroom, sources said.

The attack was “random” and “clearly racially motivated,” Aubry said.

“Our victim happened to be going through trash on the sidewalk,” the chief said. “There was nobody else around.”

The well-dressed suspect turned himself at an NYPD substation in Times Square shortly after midnight Wednesday – telling cops there he did so to avoid killing again, sources said.

Jackson, who was staying at The Hotel at Times Square on West 46th St. near Sixth Avenue, said he was allegedly set off by a black and white couple he’d seen just before surrendering.

Earlier in the day of the attack, Jackson was caught on surveillance video “stalking” another black man in the same area, walking closely behind the person but not acting out, sources said.

On his Twitter page, Caughman described himself as a “can and bottle recycler” and “autograph collector” and posted series of photos of himself with celebrities.

He had been living in a transitional home on West 36th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.

Jackson had been deployed to Afghanistan and Germany during his career as a private in the Army, according to sources. He was honorably discharged in 2012.

He also attended Ohio Wesleyan University beginning in 2007 though it’s not clear if he graduated, sources added.