Washington, DC, police arrested a man suspected of attacking an Asian store owner, yelling, “F***ing Chinese.”
They are also investigating the assault as a hate crime.
They charged Samuel Delwyn Thomas, 30, of Cockeysville, Maryland, with aggravated assault:
According to police, the incident happened back on Tuesday, May 4 at just after 1:45 pm when Thomas entered the Max Trading Corporation jewelry store in the 1300 block of 4th Street NE.Chong Hu Lu and his wife operate the jewelry store and told WUSA9’s John Henry in an interview last month that a man – later identified as Thomas – and woman came into his store to look at jewelry. According to Lu, Thomas then asked if they could open a jewelry item.”And, I said no because we have a policy,” Lu said.Lu said Thomas then began to throw punches at him while yelling the words “f****** Chinese” several times.“I think he hates Asian people,” Lu told WUSA9.
The tape shows the man suspected to be Thomas hit Lu in the head and mouth. Lu got over 12 stitches at the hospital.
The woman with Thomas “physically blocked Lu” from chasing him after h left the store. She left the scene in a car.
Another business owner took down the license number.
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