A man who racially abused an Asian American detective is now facing a lawsuit.
Terrell Harper is accused of used anti-Asian slurs towards Detective Vincent Chung on 11 March.
“Soy sauce? Soy sauce?” Harper is heard saying in video footage captured on Chung’s body cam.
Harper also calls Chung a “godd*** cat eater” and a “dumb motherf*****,” tells Chung to “suck a dog’s d***,” and mocks Chung’s eyes. He also reportedly made racist remarks about Chung’s mother.
The Detectives’ Endowment Association is now suing Harper for civil damages. Filed on 20 April, the lawsuit is believed to be a first.
Union attorney James Moschella said Chung had suffered “emotional trauma” as a result of the verbal attack.
“Looking at the video, that type of hate directed towards myself as an Asian American, is just disgusting,” Chung, said in a press conference. “Given the current climate of Asian hate, a verbal assault like that on a uniformed NYPD detective only leads to violence.”
“I was surprised that an organization or demonstration protesting for racial justice and equality suddenly turned to an anti-Asian beratement for over 15 minutes,” he said.
“All I care about is the apology,” Chung said. “No matter how much is awarded, I’m donating it to some Asian aid society or anti-Asian hate society.”
Chung also thanked the Detectives’ Endowment Association for its support.
“Considering the increase in violence throughout the city against Asian-Americans, we must put racists on notice,” Detectives’ Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo said. “And we have to salute this detective for showing great restraint.”
There has been a recent rise in attacks against Asians including an Asian woman who was hit in the face in Philadelphia.
In California, a Vietnamese family was tied up in their own home by robbers who stole their entire life savings in Oakland, California.
Also in California, an elderly Asian American woman was kicked in the face by a suspect who was on parole for fatally stabbing his mother.
Additionally, the man who harassed Olympian Sakura Kokumai has been arrested for attacking a senior Korean couple.
Elsewhere, a cup of urine with racist anti-Chinese messages was left on a Japanese American woman’s car in California.
Most recently, a 61-year-old Asian American man was repeatedly kicked in the head whilst collecting cans.
