Shocking video shows three teens harassing an Asian family of tourists aboard a New York City subway train before attacking one visitor and a Good Samaritan who was trying to film the encounter.
Now, the NYPD is seeking the identities of the suspects – who were all black – in an assault being investigated as a hate crime.
Sue Young, 51, and her family, were visiting the Big Apple from Nevada, when they were approached by three teens who were laughing and pointing at them on Thursday night around 8pm while they were riding the F train at the West 4th Street station.
At first, Young was trying to be a good sport, but realized the trio was up to no good. Young said it was ‘insult, after insult, after insult,’ she told CBS New York.
Her husband asked them to stop, causing one of the suspects to pull Young to ground by her hair, where she was repeatedly punched in her head before the suspects fled.
Passenger Joanna Lin, a witness of the disturbing exchange, took out her cell phone and started recording the travesty before she was sucker-punched by the hoodlums.
One of the teens that was part of the attack that happened on the F train on Thursday
The photo shows when the three teens approach Sue Young and her family inside the train
Police are looking for the people involved and released an image of one of the teens seen in the video.
Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
Lin wrote that she ‘knew it was going to get bad,’ and took out her phone to document the incident.
‘One of them saw me and tried to block the view (didn’t work).’ Lin wrote.
The video showed one of the teens yelling at Young and her family as they sat on the train.
Footage cut to Young and one of the suspects pointing at each other as they sat across from each other on the train. A man walked up and tried to intervene. One of the suspects started to yell at the man as another made a line toward Lin – forcing her to shut down the recording.
One of the teens is seen trying to block the view of the brave passenger, Joanna Lin, who still managed to record the disturbing event
Lin started to record again as the girls yelled at the Asian tourists as they sat on the train
A teen with dreadlocks then sprints toward Lin, again, forcing her to turn off the camera
Lin started to record again as the girls are just inches away from the family sitting on the train. That is when Lin reported she called 911 and reported the incident.
A teen with dreadlocks then sprints toward Lin, again, forcing her to turn off the camera. Lin said she was struck during the part.
Lin resumed recording saying a brawl broke out as passengers tried to prevent the family from getting hit. The dreadlocked teen makes a run toward Lin again as she is recording, and Lin was dragged by her hair.
Lin wrote on social media, in part, how she was still ‘in shock and still at a loss for words.
‘I will be ok, just a bit sore on the head and tailbone,’ she wrote before urging other riders to be careful. ‘Please be safe and share this video to spread awareness.’
She also gave an apology for what she described as the ‘pre-mature use of the hashtag in the final frame.’
‘Even though racial slurs were used, I believe this is an incident of subway violence and bullying caused by delinquents – we need to teach our youth to not hate and to control their anger because it is toxic, triggering and infectious.’
Her post garnered more than 10,000 likes.
This image shows the three teens sitting across from the Young family as one of the girls hands are up in the air during the dispute
Young told CBS that while Lin was being attacked – by the same person who attacked her- she pushed the teen off of her.
Other people on the train were able to intervene and help Young and her family and Lin get off the train safely.
‘My glasses got broken,’ Young said. ‘I’ve had headache for a couple of days now because my hair was pulled and so my scalp was very tender. I got like a whiplashy neck,’ Young said.
Despite the physical pain she’s endured – Young said she can heal from that – she hopes there is accountability from the trio.
As a mother of two 11-year-old twin daughters, she would like it to be a teaching moment for her children.
Jo-Ann Yoo, president of the Asian American Federation, told DailyMail.com on Monday that she and her peers watched the video with ‘broken hearts and disappointment.’
‘As we provide services through our Hope Against Hate campaign, and deal with the ongoing need for support services from those who are struggling with the aftermath of verbal and physical attacks, we continue to warn that anti-Asian hate persists.
‘This video is a call to action for all New Yorkers to treat each other with patience and respect, and safety is something we all must strive for. Our shared safety is dependent on each New Yorker looking out for each other.’
DailyMail
