By admin 
A longtime downtown Woodland pharmacy that displayed signs supporting the LGBTQ+ community was vandalized over the weekend, with its storefront glass shattered and an anti-LGBTQ+ slur spray-painted across it, police said.
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The Woodland Police Department said officers responded to Corner Drug Co. after the vandalism occurred Saturday night. Police described the graffiti as containing “bias-motivated slurs” and said investigators were working to identify whoever was responsible.
Photos of the damage showed shattered glass around signs and stickers expressing support for Woodland’s LGBTQ+ community at the drugstore in the 600 block of Main Street. Among them were a Woodland Pride sign, a “Hate Has No Business Here” sign and a Woodland police “Safe Place” decal marking the business as a refuge for victims of hate crimes and harassment. White spray-painted graffiti containing an anti-LGBTQ+ slur stretched across another section of the glass.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident, including the nature of the graffiti and the motivation behind it, will be part of the investigation,” police said.
Police had not announced an arrest or publicly identified a suspect as of Monday morning. The department also stopped short of characterizing the vandalism as a hate crime but said in its statement: “Everyone in Woodland deserves to feel safe, respected, and welcome in our community.”
“Acts that target individuals or businesses because of who they are or are perceived to be are taken seriously,” police said.
Corner Drug Co., an independent, family-owned pharmacy that has served historic downtown Woodland community for 129 years, posted photos of the damage Sunday before cleaning up the storefront.
“Early this morning the window of our family pharmacy was smashed and anti-gay slurs were painted on them,” the business said on social media. “To the person that did this: We can fix a window but you will always be broken.”
Read more Longtime Woodland pharmacy targeted with anti-LGBTQ+ graffiti, vandalism
Corner Drug Co. thanked community members who checked on the business and said it planned to respond to the vandalism by supporting LGBTQ+ organizations.
“We will be donating to several local LGBT nonprofits including Elevate Queer Yolo … and Davis Phoenix Coalition this week as a direct result of this hate. You did this,” the business said.
“An attack on us is an attack on our community and this will make us stronger together.”
The vandalism was not the first time anti-LGBTQ+ incidents had drawn police attention in Woodland.
In June 2022, protesters shouting derogatory comments about the LGBTQ+ community tried to force their way into Mojo’s Lounge & Bar, less than a block south of Corner Drug, after threats prompted the downtown Woodland business to cancel a drag event.
That same week, Woodland police announced the Safe Place program, a partnership with local businesses and organizations designed to give victims of hate crimes and harassment somewhere to seek shelter while contacting police. Participating businesses display a Safe Place decal — one of the signs visible amid the damage at Corner Drug Co.
Anyone who witnessed the vandalism or had information or video that could help investigators was asked to call the Woodland Police Department at 530-666-2411.
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