2 men charged with hate crimes for back-to-back anti-Asian incidents in Washington state
By Carl Samson
A pair of men have been charged with hate crimes in connection with two separate anti-Asian incidents in Washington state earlier this month.
The first incident occurred in Bellevue on Nov. 3 and involved a 16-year-old Asian girl, according to court documents obtained by independent journalist Jonathan Choe. The suspect, identified as William D. Simonson, allegedly shoved the victim into a moving vehicle at a busy intersection.
During the attack, Simonson allegedly yelled, “You’re a f*cking Asian bitch,” “Go back to your country, Asian bitch” and “Why are you in this country?” Fortunately, the driver of the vehicle had enough time to hit the brakes, sparing the victim from potential collision injuries.
However, the victim’s ordeal did not end there. Simonson allegedly chased her down the street and tried to shove her at least three more times.
The victim did not sustain any injuries. Simonson, who was arrested on the scene, has been charged with second-degree attempted assault and a hate crime.
The second incident occurred near the City University of Seattle on Nov. 8 and initially involved three Chinese students, records show. The suspect, Anthony J. Ransford, allegedly yelled anti-Asian slurs before headbutting one of the students, breaking the victim’s nose.
Ransford allegedly yelled “COVID,” “China virus” and “F*cking Chinese” during the assault. A Good Samaritan who stepped in to help suffered a dislocated shoulder, a fractured humerus and other injuries that would potentially require surgery.
Ransford, who was charged with second-degree assault and a hate crime, pleaded not guilty on Monday, KING 5 reported. Records show he has multiple arrests across multiple states, including a conviction for assault with a deadly weapon in California.
Choe himself fell on the receiving end of anti-Asian remarks last week. While trying to interview a woman accused of going on an anti-Asian tirade at a Seattle gas station for her side of the story, the woman chased him off with rocks, saying “Eat a d*ck, Asian man, or a dog with rice.”
Featured Image via KING 5
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