An Asian shop owner has been punched in the face by a racist customer in Washington DC.
Max Trading owner Chong Hu Lu was assisting the customer on Tuesday 4 May at 1:46 pm, when the incident occurred.
The customer became violent when he was informed that the store had a policy of not removing the jewellery from the case.
CCTV footage shows the customer punching Lu in the face, causing him to fall to the ground. Lu later received 14 stitches for his injuries.
The suspect ran away and has not been arrested. DC Police are “investigating the attack as potentially being motivated by hate/bias.”
Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect. Anyone with information is advised to call 02-727-9099 or text 50411.
There has been a recent rise in attacks against Asians including an Asian “anti-masker” who was stabbed and killed in Washington.
In another incident, a man who racially abused an Asian American detective is now facing a lawsuit.
A suspect was also arrested for robbing and stabbing an Asian man in San Francisco.
Another a suspect was arrested for stomping on a 61-year-old man’s head in Harlem.
Meanwhile, charges against the man who spat at and punched an 83-year-old Korean grandmother have been dropped.
Elsewhere, the president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce was racially abused and physically attacked. The suspect has since been arrested.
Additionally, three people were arrested for a burglary spree targeting 26 Asian business owners in Colorado and Wyoming in 2019.
An Asian father was also attacked in San Francisco whilst walking his 1-year-old child and an Asian American teen was left concussed after being punched at a basketball game in Oakland.
In San Francisco, an 85-year-old Asian grandmother and a 65-year-old Asian woman were stabbed whilst waiting for the bus.
Most recently, two Asian women were attacked with a hammer in Manhattan.
ASIAN SHOP OWNER ATTACKED: Chong Hu Lu, owner of Max Trading in NE DC, says he was punched yesterday in the face by a customer. Lu says the customer got upset about the store’s policy of not removing jewelry from the case and then yelled “F*** you Chinese people, I hate you” pic.twitter.com/ciUDgGEjaY
— Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) May 5, 2021
This surveillance video shows the attack. The attacker ran away + hasn’t been arrested. DC Police tell me they are “investigating the attack as potentially being motivated by hate/bias.” Lu tells me he had to get 14 stitches. Full story ahead at 4/5/6p on News4 @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/dJf2wdCyjH
— Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) May 5, 2021
