An Asian man was the victim of a seemingly unprovoked attack in San Francisco.
“ASIAN FATHER ATTACKED IN MISSION BAY WHILE WALKING WITH 1-YEAR-OLD IN STROLLER,” KPIX reporter Betty Yu said on Twitter. “The attack happened Friday just after 2 pm outside Gus’s Community Market on 4th/Channel. SFPD was patrolling the area and immediately arrested the suspect – 26 yo Sidney Hammond,” Yu said.
Yu attached a video of the incident, which allegedly shows Hammond, a black man, throwing repeated punches at the man who appears defenseless as he crawls away on the ground.
⚠️ TW / ASIAN FATHER ATTACKED IN MISSION BAY WHILE WALKING WITH 1-YEAR-OLD IN STROLLER
The attack happened Friday just after 2 pm outside Gus’s Community Market on 4th/Channel. SFPD was patrolling the area and immediately arrested the suspect – 26 yo Sidney Hammond.@KPIXtv pic.twitter.com/rcidGexoc7
— Betty Yu (@BettyKPIX) May 5, 2021
“The victim, a 36 yo Asian father said he was punched out of nowhere from behind. Police say the attack appeared to be random and no words were exchanged,” Yu reported.
“The child was unharmed, and the victim told me he’s on the mend, and shaken up.”
HATE CRIMES AGAINST ASIANS UP 169% IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2021
The victim, identified only as Bruce, told reporters his “sense of security” is now “shattered” because of the attack.
“I was right on the ground, and, in that exact second, I was trying to shield my head and prevent any worse injuries,” he said. “I couldn’t protect my child. I was on the floor, and he was in a stroller that was slowly rolling away, so it’s definitely very scary as a parent.”
The assault comes during an apparent wave of anti-Asian attacks since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, with some data indicating hate crimes against Asians are up 169% so far in 2021.
The trend has been particularly troubling in the San Francisco area, which has seen a wave of violent attacks against Asians in recent months.
The trend showed no signs of slowing during the first quarter of 2021, with one study finding Asian hate crimes are up 140% in San Francisco compared to 2020. Only New York City saw a larger spike in such crimes among U.S. large cities, registering a 223% rise in Asian hate crimes so far this year.
Police arrested Hammond on charges of assault, false imprisonment, and child endangerment.
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While Bruce said he wasn’t sure if the attack against him was racially motivated, the thought did cross his mind. Speaking of his alleged attacker, Bruce said he hopes Hammond “can be somewhere where he can’t harm anyone else or if he needs help, he can get the help he needs.”
