While strolling through a residential neighborhood in the city of Oakland early Tuesday, a 75-year-old Asian American man was shoved to the ground and robbed, according to a statement released by a representative of the Chinatown community of Oakland.
According to Washington Post, the president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, Carl Chan, who has been in contact with the victim's family, shared that the senior was seriously injured. The police conducted their investigation on the incident, but the authorities have not identified any suspects yet.
Late on Tuesday, the Oakland police arrested an unnamed suspect connected to the incident based on a news outlet report. The police also described the incident as a violent attack.
The Mayor of Oakland, Libby Schaaf, said that authorities need to investigate whether the crime was committed with racial motivation. Also, Oakland Police Chief LeRonne L. Armstrong stated that the trauma this cause has a ripple effect on the victim and their families, and the entire community.
The said incident is the latest in a string of racist attacks and harassment against Asian Americans, especially to seniors in the Bay Area, with some having resulted in death. An 84-year-old Thai man last month died days after being violently shoved to the ground during his morning walk.
Earlier this year, at least three Asian American seniors walking through Chinatown in Oakland were also assaulted. Based on numerous activists, the attacks can be tied to the anti-Asian sentiments stoked by the United States' former president, Donald Trump's rhetoric blaming China for the global health crisis and incorrectly referring to the coronavirus as 'Chinese virus.'
The president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce also stated that he is not angry about the situation. Instead, he is saddened about all of the incidents. Chan shared that the seniors in Chinatown have called him and shared that they were afraid of going out or even walking on their own streets, ABC7 reported.
Chan added that it is pretty sad, especially that the entire world is still in the middle of a pandemic. He added that seniors do not usually get visits even from their own children and grandchildren.
Based on the police report, the latest incident took place just before 7 a.m. on Tuesday when the 75-year-old Asian American man was walking through Adams Point, which is a neighborhood that is less than two miles from the downtown area of Oakland. The police also mentioned that the senior argued with the suspect before he was being assaulted and robbed.
The neighbor who saw paramedics loading the senior into an ambulance, Florence Williams, shared to a news outlet that the senior is known for taking early morning walks in the area. Williams also added that the man walks every morning around that time or even a little earlier, KCBS reported.
Mayor Schaaf called the incident a reprehensible and violent attack. Police reported that the victim was taken to a nearby hospital, but Chan stated that the Asian American man was seriously hurt and not looking good.
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