Suspect charged for slashing man with katana in NYC claims self-defense
By Bryan Ke
One of the two brothers charged for injuring a drunk man with a katana in New York City’s Chinatown in 2020 insisted that the other group started the altercation by using racial slurs and that he acted in self-defense.
Key points:
- Max Ong, one of the two brothers involved in a bloody altercation at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Asian hate in 2020, spoke to ABC7 as his family calls for justice.
- Ong, who was arrested and charged for the incident, insisted that the five men they encountered that night instigated the fight, leading them to act in self-defense.
Catching up:
- The New York Police Department told NextShark at the time that the incident took place in front of 115 Elizabeth Street in Chinatown in Manhattan on Oct. 10, 2020. The victim, a 20-year-old male, sustained injuries to his torso, arm and finger after being slashed by a katana.
- Max Ong was arrested and charged with assault and weapon possession. He was released on a $20,000 cash bail at the time. His older brother John turned himself in in December 2020 and was charged with assault and attempted murder.
The details:
- Speaking to ABC7, Ong insisted that the group used racial slurs when he tried to confront them for urinating on the property where he worked as a superintendent. He recalled that one of the men even attempted to urinate on him when he came out.
- In the interview, Ong recalled how he also came out to confront the group. The same man who tried to urinate on him allegedly stepped in front of John’s face before shoving him.
- “He says, ‘get me my bag, I’m going to shank the ch*nk,” Ong was quoted saying. “So, my first reaction was to create some distance between him and his bag, and I shoved him and I said leave.”
- A brawl ensued, resulting in Ong being injured and blacking out. While the men were walking away, John went inside the building to get his sword. The group reportedly returned and confronted John, leading to the latter swinging at them with the katana.
- Ong reportedly took a plea deal, which entailed a five-year probation with a criminal record. Meanwhile, John’s sentencing is scheduled for next week, where he faces two-and-a-half years in prison for second-degree assault with a deadly weapon. The slashed victim also filed a civil lawsuit against the Ong family.
- A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office issued a statement to ABC7 noting that they determined through their investigation that “there was no evidence to charge any other individual at the scene with criminal conduct.”
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