A San Francisco man allegedly involved in multiple attacks on Asian Americans will be charged with hate crimes, District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced on Saturday.
Sidney Hammond, 26, was arrested on April 30 and charged with aggravated assault after allegedly attacking a 36-year-old Asian father while the victim was pushing his baby in a stroller.
“We received new evidence that Sidney Hammond’s attacks on Asian victims — including an Asian father pushing a stroller — were racially motivated,” Boudin revealed in a tweet. “We will be charging Mr. Hammond with hate crimes. We are fighting for the victims in these attacks & for all victims of hate crimes.”
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The victim in the incident, identified only as “Bruce,” told ABC 7 he was outside of a grocery store when he was knocked to the ground and a man started punching him.
“I was right on the ground, and in that exact second, I was trying to shield my head and prevent any worse injuries,” Bruce 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.”
A day before the Asian father was attacked, Hammond was also caught on video allegedly attacking a 61-year-old Asian man from behind, according to KPIX.
Hammond faces charges of assault, false imprisonment, and child endangerment.
Boudin did not specify the details of what led the crime to be categorized as a hate crime.
The announcement came a day after the district attorney’s office said another suspect involved in the Tuesday stabbing of two Asian women would be charged with attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, and elder abuse.
An April study from the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino found that hate crimes against Asian Americans rose 140% in San Francisco in the first quarter of 2021, compared to 2020. New York City saw a 223% spike in reported hate crimes against Asian Americans in the same time frame.
A separate study from the same center found that hate crimes against Asian Americans rose 150% in 2020, which has led to speculation that the coronavirus pandemic may be linked to the uptick.
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The Washington Examiner contacted Boudin’s office but did not immediately receive a response.
