hate crime
NYPD launches hate crime investigation into unidentified man who spat, hurled racial slurs at Asian woman
The New York Police Department (NYPD) is investigating the case of a man who spat and hurled racial slurs at an Asian woman in midtown Manhattan on Tuesday as a hate crime.
What happened: The 34-year-old victim, whose name was not released, was walking on West 40th Street when the unidentified man approached and spat on her, according to WCBS 880. The suspect also hurled anti-Asian slurs at the victim before fleeing eastbound on West 40th Street.
UPDATE: NYPD arrested and charged man who punched 52-year-old Asian woman in the head as hate crime
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include that the suspect was identified as Vincent Diehl, 47. He was arrested on Tuesday and is being charged with assault as a hate crime and aggravated harassment, according to the NYPD Hate Crimes.
Authorities are seeking the public’s help in identifying a man who punched a woman in an alleged anti-Asian hate crime in Manhattan over the weekend.
Stop AAPI Hate reports more physical, less verbal trend in over 9,000 incidents since March 2020
National coalition Stop AAPI Hate is reporting an increase in physical attacks against Asian Americans this year, while verbal abuse — though still the largest type of discrimination — is seeing a drop in numbers compared to 2020.
Key details: The trends are highlighted in the nonprofit’s latest report, which documents 9,081 anti-Asian incidents between March 19, 2020 and June 30, 2021. Of this total, verbal harassment or name-calling (63.7%), avoidance or shunning (16.5%) and physical assault (13.7%) made up the largest proportions.
Two filmmakers spent 6 years studying Vincent Chin’s murder – Here’s why it’s so hard to prove a hate crime
The recent news of Robert Aaron Long’s plea deal in the murder of four Asian spa workers in Cherokee County, Georgia is a bittersweet triumph. He was given four life sentences without the possibility of parole, but the Cherokee County District Attorney explicitly stated, “Your honor, in discussing this case with Mr. Burns, the defense’s position is that this was not any type of hate crime,” saying that the defense found no racial bias in the case. The FBI came to the same conclusion. With the four remaining murders still to be tried in Fulton County, the District Attorney there stated she intends to continue to pursue the case as a hate crime, keeping the domestic terrorism charges, and seek the death penalty. This is yet another example of the difficulties of proving racial bias in a court of law, especially when it comes to Asian Americans.
When Robert Aaron Long killed eight people in Atlanta back in March, the Asian American community could see this for what it was: a hate crime. Six of the victims were Asian women who worked at spas. This was not a coincidence. Their race and occupation made them targets. Asian women are fetishized in our culture, which is linked to the stereotype of seeing them as sex workers, a relic from colonialism and imperialism, multiple American wars in Asia, and the portrayal of Asian women in Hollywood films and television. The killer, however, claimed that this had nothing to do with race. He is “deeply religious,” struggles with a “sex addiction” and felt he needed to kill these women to remove the temptation they presented. With the news of Long’s plea deal came the revelation that he did in fact frequent these spas. If this is true, it would follow, then, that he either chose these Asian spas based off the stereotype that Asian spas are fronts for sex work, or that he chose Asian spas specifically because he had an Asian fetish. It seems highly questionable that he frequented multiple spas to solicit sex acts, and it was only a coincidence that they were all explicitly staffed by Asian workers. We are unaware of any hard evidence making this connection. For now, we are left to sift through circumstantial evidence to determine what was in his head that day. We are all too familiar with such a journey.
Gay Asian man who fell into a coma after brutal attack is making ‘tremendous progress’ in recovery
A gay Asian man who fell into a coma following a brutal attack in Atlanta last month, is now making “tremendous progress” in his recovery.
Courageous recovery: Joshua Dowd, 28, had a very active day on Saturday as he tried to move his head, both of his arms and his legs following the incident, according to the recent update on his GoFundMe page.
Sikh community demands answers after FBI says Indianapolis FedEx shooting NOT a hate crime
A shooting that killed eight victims including four Sikh Americans at a FedEx warehouse in Indianapolis in April was not motivated by hate, the FBI and local authorities announced on Wednesday.
Investigation results: After going through 120 interviews and 150 pieces of evidence, investigators found no evidence that the suspect Brandon Scott Hole committed his crimes “to address perceived injustices or to advance an ideology.” Instead, they concluded that the 19-year-old — who killed himself after murdering his victims — performed “an act of suicidal murder,” according to the Indianapolis Star.
Suspect in botched robbery that left Asian mother dead in NYC is now wanted for HOMICIDE
The New York Police Department has identified the suspect in an attempted robbery that left a 58-year-old Asian woman with a fatal brain injury.
The incident: The attempted robbery, now reclassified as a homicide case, occurred on July 17 in Manhattan’s Canal Street subway station. Htwe Than and her son, Kyaw Zaw Hein, were exiting the station when the suspect tried to steal Hein’s backpack from behind.
Man charged with hate crimes after multiple anti-Muslim attacks in NYC
A man is facing hate crime charges over a series of attacks against Muslims in Queens, New York City.
What he did: Naved Durrni, 30, is accused of targeting two Muslim couples on June 20 and a Muslim woman on July 25.
Ohio woman attacks elderly Asian store owners after her card was declined
A woman is wanted in Cleveland after going on a rampage at a local beauty store and attacking its elderly Asian owners over a failed purchase.
What happened: The incident, which was caught on surveillance video, occurred at Chic Plus Beauty Supply on Lorain Road around 5 p.m. on Friday. Police said the woman was trying to buy something using a prepaid debit card, which was declined at the counter.
Atlanta shooter sentenced to life without parole
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated from its original version to say that AP reportedly misquoted District Attorney Shannon Wallace during Robert Aaron Long’s hearing on July 27. The full quote has been included below.
The Atlanta shooter who murdered eight people, six being of Asian descent, in March has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life.
NYC woman charged with multiple anti-Asian hate crimes held without bail
A woman facing multiple hate crime charges for a string of attacks against Asian Americans in New York City was held without bail over the weekend.
What she did: Maricia Bell, 25, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly attacking four Asian Americans, beginning in May. All incidents took place in Queens, according to NBC New York.
NYPD, FBI join forces to fight Asian hate in new campaign
The New York Police Department (NYPD) and FBI have launched a joint public service announcement to encourage the reporting of potential anti-Asian hate crimes.
What to know: Of all individuals targeted for their race, religion, gender and sexual orientation in New York City, Asian Americans saw the largest spike in hate crimes in the first half of the year. A total of 104 cases in 2021 were documented as of July 4, a 395% increase from last year’s 21 incidents.