Hate crime in US: Man brutally kicks, punches Sikh man
What's the story
A Sikh man has been brutally assaulted in an alleged hate crime by a white man who pulled his beard, kicked and punched him in the face at a store in the US, the latest such incident in the country. Harwinder Singh Dodd, who was working at a convenience store in Oregon was racially targeted on Monday by a 24-year-old Andrew Ramsey. Read more.
Reason
Ramsey attacked Dodd because of his perception of Sikh religion
Ramsey targeted Dodd because of his perception of the employee's religion, state media reported, citing a court document. The accused wanted rolling papers for cigarettes but did not have an ID and the clerk would not sell them to him, Justin Brecht, a legislative policy adviser in the Oregon State Capitol and a former combat Marine, was quoted as saying by the report.
What happened
Ramsey pulled Dodd's beard, kicked and punched him many times
When Dodd asked Ramsey to leave, he attacked him by pulling his beard, punching him in the face, pulling him to the ground and kicking him, Brecht said, adding that they held Ramsey down until officers got there. "Dodd was bleeding, he had gotten punched quite a bit in the face, and kicked on the ground very brutally. It was very serious," he said.
Charges
Ramsey charged with assault in the fourth degree, disorderly conduct
Ramsey has been charged with a hate crime assault, police said, adding that he threw his shoe at Dodd and even tried to steal his head covering. He was also charged with assault in the fourth degree, disorderly conduct, and criminal trespass. Hate crimes have increased by 40% in Oregon from 2016 to 2017, according to data provided by the FBI.
Data
Hate-violence against Indians, Sikhs increased by 45% in 2018: SAALT
In August 2018, in about a week, two Sikh men were brutally assaulted in the US State of California that raised concerns over increasing incidents of hate crimes in the country. Last year, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) published a report documenting a 45% increase in hate violence and rhetoric against Indians, Sikhs, and South Asian Americans from the year prior.