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Two elderly Asian Americans were the latest victims of a brutal and random attack in the United States, as tensions rise over escalating racial violence.
Xiao Zhen Xie, 75, allegedly fought back and fought off his attacker after being punched in the eye in San Francisco.
Videos posted on social media captured the moment after the attack, which police believe is an unprovoked assault.
A video posted on Twitter shows Xie in distress and holding an ice pack to her face while surrounded by a group of people, including police officers and paramedics.
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He can be heard saying, “He hit me,” in Cantonese, while pointing to a man with a stick he is holding.
The video also shows a man, whom Xie appears to be referring to, with a bloody mouth. He is strapped to a stretcher while receiving medical treatment from paramedics on site.
According to the San Francisco Police Department, two elderly victims were taken to hospital Wednesday after unprovoked aggravated assaults.
In a statement, police said an 83-year-old Asian-American man had also been assaulted; the incident is believed to have occurred shortly before Xie was run over near Market Street in the city.
Dennis O’Donnell / Screenshot from Twitter video
Asian American woman Xiao Zhen Xie was attacked and hit in the face while waiting for a traffic light in San Francisco this week.
Police said 39-year-old Steven Jenkins was arrested in connection with the assaults. He faces two counts of assault likely to result in serious bodily injury and two counts of elder abuse.
After the incidents, Jenkins was taken to the hospital for an unrelated prior medical condition, police said.
“Investigators are working to determine whether racial bias was a motivating factor in the incident,” the statement said.
Speaking to US media station KPIX from her retirement home, Xie said she was waiting for a traffic light to change when she was hit in the face. In the interview, which was translated through his daughter Dong-Mei Li, Xie said that he used a stick to defend himself.
“Do not know him. Why [did] it attacks me? Xie told KPIX through his daughter.
Li said her mother could not see with her left eye Wednesday night and said the attack had left her “very scared, traumatized and very hurt.”
A GoFundMe page created by his grandson has raised more than $ 585,000 for Xie.
KPIX reported that the 83-year-old Vietnamese named Ngoc Pham was recovering from his injuries after the attack, which included a broken nose.
The assaults come just days after eight people, six of whom were Asian-American women, were murdered at spa businesses in Atlanta, Georgia.
A 21-year-old white man suspected in the shooting has been taken into police custody. He reportedly told investigators that race was not a factor in the attack.
The shooting has sparked widespread condemnation around the world, with many people using social media to try and raise awareness of violence against Asians.
Curtis Compton / AP
After leaving flowers, Jesús Estrella, left, and Shelby S, right, support the Asian and Hispanic community outside the Youngs Asian massage parlor, where four people died this week.
Xie’s video on Twitter has been viewed more than 2.8 million times and widely shared by people condemning the violence.
The public outcry has also seen celebrities, politicians and public figures, many of whom are of Asian descent, speak out about racism and escalating violence.
The Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, was one of the people who expressed their solidarity with the families of the murdered people and with the Asian American community. He also encouraged the public to speak out against racism and acts of violence.
“We are with you and we understand how this has scared, shocked and outraged all people,” Harris said. “But knowing the increasing levels of hate crimes against our Asian American brothers and sisters, we also want to speak in solidarity with them and recognize that none of us should remain silent in the face of any form of hatred,” CNBC reported Harris said.
Pointer Alyssa / AP
The flowers and posters are displayed in a monument outside the Gold Spa in Atlanta.
The attacks come at a time amid growing reports of racism and violence against Asians during the coronavirus pandemic.
San Francisco police said they had seen an “alarming increase” in attacks against Asian Americans in recent weeks, CNN reported.
While advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate said it has received at least 3,795 first-hand complaints of violence and discrimination against Asian Americans since it began tracking them last March, CNN reported.
