Woman who harassed NYC Chinatown nail salon workers sentenced to 3 years probation
August 25, 2023
Sharon Williams, a 52-year-old woman who was arrested in April 2021 for harassing Asian employees at a nail salon in New York City’s Chinatown, was sentenced to three years of probation on Thursday.
Manhattan Supreme Court sentencing: Williams was convicted of aggravated harassment and physically threatening an undercover police officer with violence, according to New York Daily News. The 52-year-old was ordered to attend an implicit bias program, anger management and alcohol and substance use disorder screening.
About the incident: On April 6, 2021, Williams harassed Asian employees at the Good Choice for Nails salon on Madison Street by threatening them and blaming them for the COVID-19 pandemic. “You brought the corona to this country,” Williams said.
The convict also threatened another Asian woman outside the nail salon before directing her attention to an undercover Asian officer who intervened. Williams called the officer a “monkey” and a “Chinese motherf*cker.”
The undercover officer was reportedly one of the New York Police Department’s Asian officers who were deployed to combat the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes by patrolling the city’s streets. William’s arrest was the first made by one of the officers from this initiative.
Williams’ other cases: Before the incident at the nail salon, Williams already had three open cases for assault and menacing. She declined to take any affirmative steps to change, according to Assistant District Attorney Dylan Los Huertos.
Williams was also accused of yelling homophobic language at a woman in June 2022, who she allegedly attacked with a knife a month before.
“I’m going to stab you. I have a knife with me,” Williams reportedly told the victim. “I’m going to beat you up because you’re gay.”
In this criminal case, Huertos said that prosecutors are still pushing for up to three years of prison time for Williams.
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