Shocking moment racist man shoves and spits on Asian couple and blames them for coronavirus yelling ‘it's your fault’ – as Washington police investigate nine other xenophobic attacks since March
An Asian couple in Washington was attacked by a man who shoved them, spat in their faces and yelled 'it's your fault' in reference to the coronavirus pandemic.
On May 16, a man and woman walking to their car in Seattle were unexpectedly targeted in a racist attack by an unidentified suspect.
Footage shared by the Seattle Police Department shows the couple, who are both wearing masks, walking down the street when the suspect takes both his hands and roughly shoves the man's face.
Authorities shared footage of a male suspect attacking an Asian couple on the streets of Seattle, Washington, earlier this month
The suspect reportedly blamed the couple for the COVID-19 outbreak and allegedly yelled, 'it’s all your fault.'
The suspect immediately attempts to flee the scene, but comes back when the man confronts him.
At one point, the suspect spits at the couple as well.
The two start a verbal argument while the female victim stands to the side and watches.
Footage shows the suspect shoving the couple before spitting in the man's face and attempting to walk away
During the incident, the man reportedly yelled at the couple 'it's your fault', in reference to the pandemic
The suspect lunges at the man, but quickly falls back when the man stands his ground and advances towards him.
The man sustained minor injuries and authorities were alerted of the incident.
The first recorded coronavirus cases were reported in Wuhan, China at the end of last year, before spreading around the world.
Washington has reported 20,111 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 1,061 deaths. The United States 1,643,499 cases and a growing death toll of 97,722.
The contagion has caused statewide lockdown orders that dealt a massive blow America's economy.
President Trump was accused of racism in March after he began referring to the coronavirus as the 'Chinese Virus' during press conferences.
He was accused of racism, amid fears his rhetoric would spark a backlash against Asian people in America.
The Trump administration has been repeatedly critical China's coronavirus response and has passed much of the blame on President Xi.
The Seattle Police Department said they've had nine other xenophobic attacks against Asian residents since March and believe the man caught in the video is involved in at least two other incidents.
The Seattle Police Department believe the suspect (pictured) is involved in similar xenophobic harassment against Asian residents
Seattle police said they've recorded nine other xenophobic attacks against Asian Americans since March
On May 23, authorities responded to call from Golden Gardens Park reporting a male suspect yelling at Asian residents in the park.
One female victim was driving out of the parking lot when the suspect approached her vehicle, knocked on her window and asked 'Where are you from…where is your ID?'
The suspect reportedly began taking pictures of the woman and said, 'Chinese disease…they bring it here!'
The victim drove away from the suspect, but he attempted to chase her car.
The victim later told police that she believes she was targeted for her ethnicity.
That same day, another Asian couple was harassed by the suspect who aggressively approached the couple and screamed 'Where are you from?'
A third incident happened around 5:30pm at Thai Thani Kitchen in the 2000 block of NW Market Street.
Restaurant employees said the suspect arrived at the restaurant and began knocking on the windows.
The suspect then kicked over a stand located inside the eatery and threatened to throw a table at a victim.
He reportedly picked up a wooden door stop and threw it at a victim. The suspect also yelled racially biased remarks against Asian staffers.
A man, believed to be the identified male suspect, reportedly harassed Asian employees at Thai Thani Kitchen (pictured) in Seattle
Employees said the same man came into the restaurant the day before and yelled at staff. He also caused a disturbance in the street.
The suspect is described as a white male, in his thirties, approximately 5’10 tall, muscular build, with dark hair, according to authorities.
The Seattle Police Department's Bias Crimes Unit is actively investigating the incidents.
Authorities ask that anyone with additional information call the SPD tip line at 206-233-5000.
In February, Asian Counseling and Referral Service issued a statement that revealed 'an alarming increase in bias and harassment against our Asian American communities.'
King 5 reports that Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council in California received more than 1,700 reports of coronavirus discrimination against Asian Americans across the country.
'Since March, when we first came under this COVID-19 pandemic, we've had nine incidents that we tracked that were targeted toward the Asian community,' said Chief Carmen Best with the Seattle Police Department.
Medical worker Cheng Wei takes care of a COVID-19 patient whose nucleic acid test result has turned negative in a ward at the west campus of the Union Hospital affiliated with Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan
After President Trump referred to the coronavirus as the 'Chinese Virus', several federal officials and the head of the CDC lambasted him amid claims he was stigmatizing an entire ethnic group.
Trump later vowed to protect Asian Americans against racist backlash, but his administration as continually shifted blame to China.
He has repeatedly claimed that China did not properly record the number of deaths and cases. Trump also alleged that China caused 'mass worldwide killing.'
'Some wacko in China just released a statement blaming everybody other than China for the Virus which has now killed hundreds of thousands of people,' Trump tweeted, referencing an unidentified individual, last week.
'Please explain to this dope that it was the 'incompetence of China', and nothing else, that did this mass Worldwide killing!' he continued.
According to Trump, those actions led to the global spread and eventual shutdowns as the virus spread across the globe.
On Sunday, Trump's national security adviser Robert O'Brien echoed these claims in an interview on NBC's Meet the Press.
O'Brien likened China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak to the Soviet Union's cover-up of the meltdown at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986.
'The cover-up that they did of the virus is going to go down in history, along with Chernobyl. We'll see an HBO special about it 10 or 15 years from now,' he added, referring to a television miniseries,' O'Brien .
When asked if he thought China would share a coronavirus vaccine with the US if it developed one, O'Brien said he believed America would be first in that regard.
On Sunday, NSA Robert O'Brien (pictured) compared China's handling of the coronavirus to the cover-up of Chernobyl in Moscow, Russia
President Trump (left) has repeatedly criticized President Xi (right) and China's handling of the coronavirus pandemic
'I think we’re going to develop a vaccine first,' he said.
'We're doing tremendous work on therapies and vaccines. And once we get them, we'll share them not only with America but we'll share them with the world.'
But he then suggested that China may be attempting to steal the U.S.'s research on vaccines and therapies.
'There’s a chance, and it’s been reported, that the Chinese have been engaged in espionage to try to find the research and the technologies that we’re working on both for a vaccine and a therapy,' said O'Brien.
'They’ve got a many-year history of stealing American intellectual property and knocking off American technology and I wouldn’t be surprised if they did that with the vaccines.'
China has denied the accusations against it, and its top diplomat on Sunday accused the United States of spreading lies and attacking the country.
Shocking moment racist man shoves and spits on Asian couple and blames them for coronavirus yelling ‘it's your fault’ – as Washington police investigate nine other xenophobic attacks since March
![Shocking moment racist man shoves and spits on Asian couple and blames them for coronavirus yelling ‘it's your fault’ – as Washington police investigate nine other xenophobic attacks since March]()
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