News   /   Society

NY man charged with attempted murder for stomping on Asian American man's head

A man carries a photo of Yao Pan Ma in critical condition at a hospital, after being assaulted on April 23rd in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, during a press conference in New York City, US, April 27, 2021. (Reuters photo)

A New York City man has been arrested after he brutally stomped on a 61-year-old Asian American man's head last week in what authorities classified as a hate crime.

Jarrod Powell, 49, was arrested and charged on Tuesday with two counts of felony assault and one count of attempted murder.

Yao Pan Ma was attacked in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan on April 23. He was collecting cans in the area when was suddenly struck by Powell from behind. Powell knocked Ma to the ground before kicking him repeatedly in the head.

Police tweeted video which appears to show the brutal head stomp.

Ma, who was said to have sustained "significant injury," is in critical condition in a medically induced coma at Harlem Hospital, according to media outlets.

The victim, who was a pastry chef, came to the US about two years ago with his wife. He moved to Harlem after their Chinatown apartment burned down. After recently losing his job to COVID, Ma began collecting cans to support his family.

The incident is the latest in a spate of attacks targeting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the United States.

According to ABC7, as of April 20, nearly half of the 135 attacks that were classified as hate crimes in New York City this year have targeted Asians.

Crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) soared 145% in 2020, even as hate crimes overall in the country decreased slightly, according to a recent report by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University at San Bernardino.

In March, a gunman went on a shooting rampage in the Atlanta area, Georgia, killing eight people, including six women of Asian descent.

Earlier this month, an elderly Asian woman was stabbed to death while walking her dogs in Riverside, California.

The spike in attacks against Asians has been mainly attributed to former US president Donald Trump for employing racist language against them. Trump also repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as the “China Virus”.


Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Press TV News Roku