HomeCrimeHate crime charge dropped in beating of NYC Asian Am woman

Hate crime charge dropped in beating of NYC Asian Am woman

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(Editor’s Note: This story is updated with comments from the District Attorney’s office)

Just days after New York Police announced it would file hate crime charges in a seemingly random attack on a 55-year-old Asian American woman, the DA has for now dropped that charge.

ABC7’s Cefaan Kim reported the decision by the office of District Attorney Cyrus Vance on Twitter.

“Objectively speaking, this DA prefers cases that are sure wins. I refer you back to Harvey Weinstein case,” Kim said in response to a question from a viewer asking “why?”

In 2015, Vance decided not to arrest and prosecute Weinstein after accusations he had groped a woman in his office without consent, according to the New Yorker.

In March of last year, Weinstein would be jailed for 23 years for rape.

AsAmNews reached out the DA’s office for comment. A spokesperson referred to a comment made by Assistant District Attorney William Darling in court.

“In conjunction with the NYPD hate crimes task force, our office is continuing to investigate whether the motivation for this heinous assault was race based or based in racial animus,” Darling said. “The People respectfully request bail in the amount of $15,000 cash.”

Charges filed against defendant Alexander Wright include assault in the 3rd degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance, aggravated harassment, attempted assault and harassment.

Wright has a criminal record, according to Darling, including 9 misdemeanor convictions, 2 failures to appear within the last year, and one probation revocation. 

“The defendant pled guilty to two violent crimes in New York County on May 27, 2021. The defendant plead guilty to Assault in the third degree. The defendant threw a rock through a window, causing damage to the window, and minutes later grabbed a stranger by the face, scratching the victim’s face causing lacerations to his face and substantial pain. The defendant (also) threw hot coffee into the faces and eyes of two traffic officers, causing redness and substantial pain,” Wright said.

Video posted by State Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou shows a woman walking down the street and a man punching her across the face. The victim fell on her behind and sat motionless on the sidewalk against a railing.

“The woman hit the ground, her butt hit the ground, she fell back, the back of her head hit the outdoor dining structure. And her eyes just shut off, blacked out,” said witness Jin Zhen to CBS NY.

Another witness who works with Hollaback, a program which teaches bystanders how to respond to such attacks, said he was left stunned.

“There is that moment of, ‘What did I just see?’ And then people moved in to see if she was OK,” Dax Valdes said.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. This Chinese Asian female senior obviously suffered a TBI ( Traumatic Brain Injury) due to the blunt force trauma committed upon her by the criminal Alexander Wright. Having ones face punched with closed fists, with enough force to knock out her front teeth was vicious enough to be clearly aggravated assault ( great bodily harm ).

    Clearly using the force in such a manner to drive someone’s head backwards causing the brain to rotate backwards within one’s skull then whip forward again to stretch the brain stem, then causing the front of the victims brain to strike violently onto the inside of the front of her skull could have easily have killed his intended victim.

    This criminal Alexander Wright has applied the force, he has demonstrated the means and shown his malice. He had the audacity to challenge any witnesses to stop him. These so called Government Law Officials need to do their jobs and eliminate the threat of these criminals by applying the proper punishments mandated by the State Laws of New York. Wake up and do your job!

    Another clear example of how Chinese (Asians) are being besieged by all the cowards and criminals in America.

  2. Help mentally ill people and lock up FOR LIFE the criminals who prey on others committing malicious acts of violence!

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