California man says police blamed him after Arco Gas worker told him to ‘go back to China’
February 7, 2022
A 22-year-old Asian man in California is voicing his frustration after a gas station cashier told him to “go back to China,” leading a police officer to purportedly blame him for escalating their encounter.
The incident, which was partly caught on video, allegedly occurred at the Arco gas station at 631 North Garfield Ave. in Monterey Park around 5 p.m. on Jan. 28.
The man, who asked to not be identified, told NextShark, “I just came in and asked for gas, then the cashier started to yell, ‘Go back to China,’ and denied me service,” he claimed.
The man filmed parts of the incident and shared them with NextShark. In the video, the cashier confirms the man’s allegation that she told him to “go back to China.”
Shortly after, the cashier takes out her own phone and appears to film the incident from her end.
While the man can be heard repeating his claims to a bystander, the cashier alleges, “He keep fighting [sic] with me,” and “He don’t [sic] leave.”
The encounter ends with the man leaving the station and the cashier raising her middle finger.
After the incident, the man said he contacted Monterey Park Police Department, which then referred the case to a detective. He said he called to ask for a report, but no one has sent him any update yet.
The man said the department also sent a deputy to speak with him about the incident at the gas station. He managed to film parts of a conversation he says only made him feel worse.
“What she did was totally wrong and unacceptable. Is that what you need to hear to feel better?” the officer asked in the video.
The man said he was surprised to hear the officer’s response, but the latter went on to speculate that it was potentially the young man’s fault.
“Maybe [it’s] the way you asked her… She’s already in a bad mood. The way you asked her ‘I want to add gas,’ maybe if you had said, ‘Can I have some gas on such and such, please?’ I don’t know,” the officer said. The man insisted to NextShark that he had asked for the gas politely.
“The police first said it didn’t seem racist to him, but when I took out my phone to record, he changed and said he will take the report,” he added.
The man said he also contacted Arco’s customer service on Jan. 31. He said a representative told him that “the owner” will contact him back, but he still has not received a call.
NextShark has reached out to Monterey Park police and Arco for comment. This is a developing story.
Featured Image via NextShark
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