On Wednesday, an Indiana University student was stabbed in the head while on a bus in Bloomington, Indiana, in an unprovoked attack described as a "racially motivated crime" by officials.
The unidentified 18-year-old female student was repeatedly stabbed in the head while waiting for the Bloomington Transit bus doors to open around 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, according to a statement released by the Bloomington Police Department.
Indiana University Student Stabbed in Head
Billie R. Davis, 56, of Bloomington, was apprehended with the assistance of another bus passenger who pursued her on foot after the attack, according to police.
Court papers stated that Davis was charged with attempted murder, aggravated violence, and battery with a dangerous weapon. Police stated that Davis and the victim had not communicated before to the incident, as seen by video footage from inside the bus, NY Times reported.
Student was sent to a hospital. On Sunday, her condition was unavailable. The institution did not reply to a request for comment immediately.
Sunday, neither the Bloomington Police Department nor Davis's attorneys responded to inquiries for comment. Bloomington's mayor, John Hamilton, said in a statement that the stabbing was a "brutal attack."
James C. Wimbush, vice president of diversity, equality, and multicultural relations at Indiana University, stated in a statement released on Friday that the incident serves as a reminder "that anti-Asian hatred is real and can have severe effects on people and our society."
The Bloomington assault coincides with an increase in hate crimes against Asians. The spike in attacks drove lawmakers to approve the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act last year, giving government and law enforcement authorities new powers and resources to prevent, monitor, and respond to hate crimes.
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Hate Crimes in US
In 2019, Indiana's governor, Eric Holcomb, enacted a bill that imposes harsher penalties for offenses motivated by bigotry, such as racism. It was uncertain if the evidence could be utilized against Davis.
The authorities believe that while the student waited for the doors to open, a woman suddenly hit the victim, as per NY Post. As her victim remained at the scene bleeding, Davis exited the bus and fled the area, according to surveillance footage reviewed by authorities.
A witness followed Davis in order to provide police with her whereabouts. According to online court documents, Davis is being detained at the Monroe County Jail on a $100,000 surety bail and a $1,000 cash bond.
The event occurred almost three years after activists around the nation began spotlighting violent attacks on Asians as part of the Stop Asian Hate movement. Between March 2020 and March 2022, Stop AAPI Hate, a non-profit organization created in 2020, received reports of over 11,500 acts of hate towards Asians in the United States.
The Indiana University Asian Culture Center, a campus resource group, issued a statement on Friday condemning the unjustified act of violence. Wednesday's attack, according to the organization, "shocked our Asian community."
In 2016, Yue Zhang of Nashville, Indiana was attacked with a hatchet by a white guy who claimed he "hated these people," according to the organization. Won-Joon Yoon was fatally shot by a white man who was a "avowed white supremacist" outside of a church in 1999.
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