A video that went viral on Twitter appears to show an elderly Asian man after he was just robbed of a shopping cart loaded with aluminum cans he had collected in SF's Bayview neighborhood. The man can then be seen being attacked by the alleged thief, and mocked by shouting onlookers.
The suspect appears to be pushing the cart away as the older man helplessly yells after him and the crowd outside taunts him. The suspect then appears to swing at the older man with a trash-picker. One of the onlookers screams, "I hate Asians" and then shows the man a cellphone image of himself as he weeps.
As the Examiner reports, the SFPD says it became aware of the incident Monday morning and is investigating. Department spokesman Officer Adam Lobsinger issued a statement saying, "The Bayview Station Investigations Team has initiated an investigation and is attempting to locate and identify the victim and/or witnesses."
The video was posted to Twitter Sunday and subsequently reposted by horrified people who are seeking justice for the older man.
please share this with your friends & family. this is so low, the older man was just trying to make ends meet for his family. he didn’t deserve this. this is ignorant, inhumane, & sickening. i’m praying for this man and his family. if you have any information, please reach out. pic.twitter.com/545xHFwPm4
— nikc (@nicholaaasli) February 24, 2020
It's unclear where exactly this incident took place.
Anyone with information is asked to call the SFPD tip line at 1-415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the text message with SFPD. As always, tips can be made anonymously.
