An unidentified assailant was caught on surveillance camera pushing a 91-year-old man to the ground in a recent unprovoked attack in Oakland Chinatown.
The incident happened outside the Asian Resource Center at the corner of Harrison and 8th streets on Jan. 31, according to ABC7.
⚠️ WARNING: this video is hard to watch. Another shocking attack in Oakland’s Chinatown. 8th and Harrison Streets. Outside the Asian Resource Center.
20+ robbery/assault incidents in the neighborhood according to the Chinatown Chamber president. https://t.co/9bo9PzuqiL pic.twitter.com/8h6dkNA1TG
— Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) February 4, 2021
The 91-year-old man was walking on a sidewalk when the suspect, wearing a black hoodie and a face mask, approached and shoved him. The elderly man suffered injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, KTVU reported.Top House Democrat throws cold water on far-left ‘defund the police’ movement(Opens in a new browser tab)
The suspect reportedly approached two other victims shortly after the first attack, resulting in one of them losing consciousness, according to the Oakland Police Department’s statement.
Advertisement
“The suspect then approached a 60-year-old man and 55-year-old woman from behind that were also walking in the 800 block of Harrison Street,” the OPD said. “The suspect pushed both victims to the ground, resulting in the woman losing consciousness. The man also suffered injury. Both victims were treated at a local hospital for their injuries.”
OPD describes the attacker as a 20 to 30 years old African American male, with a height of 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 10 inches, and weighs around 140 pounds.
“Crime Stoppers of Oakland is offering $2,500 for information leading to an arrest for each assault victim, up to a total of $7,500 reward money,” the police said.
Carl Chan, president of the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, and other Chinatown business owners and city leaders held a press conference on Wednesday to discuss possible solutions to the increasing incidents of assault and robberies in the neighborhood.
Advertisement
“They appear to be more violent, for whatever reason and that’s why we need to stop this now,” Captain Bobby Hookfin of the Oakland Police Department said, adding that most cases of assault and robbery go unreported for fear of retaliation.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf issued an apology to the victims of the attacks and also criticized some Oakland City Council members for cutting the police budget by 50%.
“I have not forgotten, that this last summer, they brought a proposal to cut $25 million from the Oakland police department as a political statement, not because of operational or financial need,” Schaaf said.
Chinatown leaders want city officials to add extra police patrols in the neighborhood and new surveillance systems.
NextShark has reached out to Oakland Police for further comment and will update this article accordingly.
Feature Image via Oakland Police Department.
