Seattle’s police have released a photo of a man, who allegedly targeted and attacked Asian victims in three separate attacks, according to KOMO News.
In the attacks on Saturday, the suspect, whose name has not been released, approached the victims and shouted racial epithets at them.
“Where are you from… where is your ID?” the suspect demanded in the first incident at Golden Gardens Park. He had approached the victim on foot, knocked on her window, and began to take photos of her car, King5 reported.
He later shouted, “Chinese disease—they bring it here!” and chased after her car when the victim drove away, later calling 911 when she reached a safe place, she said.
Fifteen minutes later, police say the suspect then confronted a couple in same park. He got close enough to spit and strike the man’s cheek before the couple managed to get into their car and call the police.
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Later, the suspect went to a Thai restaurant, a 10-minute drive away, verbally harassing the Asian employees, and “started knocking on the windows” before coming into the business. He knocked over a sign and threatened to throw a table at an employee, then threw a wooden door stop, according to police.
The victim at the Thai restaurant reported that the suspect had come to the restaurant on Saturday, also causing a “disturbance” on the street.
All victims in the three incidents said they were being targeted for their race.
Both Seattle organizations and police have reported an increase of anti-Asian hate crimes since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The Asian Counseling and Referral Service issued a joint statement in February, noting “an alarming increase in bias and harassment against our Asian American communities.”
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best also confirmed that the department has seen a rise in reports.
“Since March, when we first came under this COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve had nine incidents that we tracked that were targeted toward the Asian community,” Best said.
She encouraged that anyone experiencing these report it to the police.
The suspect is described as “a White male in his 30s, standing about 5-feet-10-inches tall, with a muscular build and dark hair.”
Police are currently investigating the incidents, and anyone with information is asked to contact the Seattle police tip line at 206-233-5000.
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