A Heroic Black Firefighter Is Jailed After Racist Assault in Oregon — Help Free Hakiym Today

​

The Case Summary

In June 2024, while working wildfire season in Southern Oregon, respected firefighter Brian “Hakiym” Simpson—a CAL FIRE Engineer, Fire Emergency Instructor, and wildland firefighter—was violently attacked by a white coworker. The coworker admitted in court to throwing the first punches and chasing Brian down a quarter-mile driveway after he attempted to walk away.  He used a racial slur, as testified to by multiple witnesses, including the defense and prosecution’s own. The language he used, the N-word, carried an implicit threat and was likely intended to provoke immediate harm and intimidation. A toxicology report confirmed the attacker was under the influence of illicit opiates, with heroin identified as a likely source. Despite these facts, his attacker was never charged.

Brian, who is Black and blind in one eye, was the one arrested.

He was prosecuted in Josephine County—a jurisdiction historically known for systemic racial bias and once home to Oregon’s most infamous sundown towns—by an all-white jury and sentenced to 70 months in prison. One of the key eyewitnesses, a fellow Black firefighter, testified that Brian did not start the fight. Yet his testimony was discredited, further reflecting implicit racial bias. This disregard highlighted the racial bias embedded in the proceedings from start to finish. The judge—known for a high number of overturned convictions—also failed to properly instruct the jury on the legal definition of 'initial aggressor.' Since the attacker admitted to throwing the first punches, this should have clearly established Brian’s right to self-defense and closed the case.

 Medical testimony confirmed that the aggressor’s injuries were consistent with a basic fistfight, not a brutal or weapon-based assault. Despite this, the prosecution misleadingly implied weapon use, even though no weapon was involved and no “stomping” occurred, as supported by transcript evidence. Brian’s right to a pretrial self-defense immunity hearing, guaranteed under Oregon law, was denied.

Adding further injustice, prosecutors cast doubt on Brian’s visual impairment—despite medical documentation—questioning whether he was “really” blind in one eye. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Brian was not required to disclose his partial blindness to his employer or coworkers. Using his disability against him in court violated those protections and further illustrated the systemic bias that shaped the outcome of the trial. The prosecutor even went so far as to shame him for not disclosing his visual impairment, despite the fact that he had no legal obligation to do so under the ADA.

Concerns were raised in court about the attacker’s prior mental health and whether he should have been rehired for high-risk duty, but this was excluded from the trial. What mattered that night—and in court—was that he initiated the attack, used racial slurs, had heroin in his system, and admitted to throwing the first punches.

Brian Simpson is a father of four. He is a highly trained firefighter and teacher with over two dozen emergency response certifications, having served on wildfire crews and CalFire throughout the Western United States, protecting lives, land, and communities. In addition to his firefighting work, Brian is a poet, educator, and long-standing community advocate for youth empowerment and civil rights. He was honored in Cincinnati for his leadership with a public mural painted in his likeness, recognized by Rosa Parks herself for his contributions to social justice education, and named to the Wall of Tolerance by the Southern Poverty Law Center for his commitment to nonviolence and equality. His life’s work has centered on protecting lives, not only through firefighting but also through mentorship and activism. Brian is Black, Indigenous, and disabled—identities that have shaped his lived experience and deepened his lifelong commitment to justice, resilience, and public service. Despite the systemic barriers he has faced, he has consistently turned adversity into purpose, using every challenge as fuel for mentorship, education, and the protection of his community.

Brian Simpson is not a criminal—he is a survivor of a racially motivated attack. He acted in self-defense and attempted to walk away. For that, he was prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to nearly six years in prison. It is not just unjust—it is unconstitutional. The right to self-defense, the equal protection of the law, and the presumption of innocence were all violated in his case. The 70-month sentence Brian received is shockingly disproportionate—far harsher than what white defendants have received in Oregon for more violent offenses, including those involving weapons or repeated assaults. This disparity exposes the deeply racialized nature of his prosecution and punishment.

We urge Governor Tina Kotek to grant a full pardon. This conviction stands as a grave injustice in a state still reckoning with its history. Brian deserves exoneration, not incarceration.