A 19-year-old Sikh on a New York City bus was attacked in a suspected hate crime assault by an assailant who tried to remove his turban while saying, “We don’t wear that in this country,” police say.
The New York City Police Department said the incident unfolded Sunday morning aboard MTA shuttle bus 8810 in the area of 118 Street and Liberty Avenue in the borough of Queens.
The suspect, wearing a bright yellow jacket, approached the teen passenger and said, “We don’t wear that in this country and take that mask off!” before punching him in the back of the head, face and back multiple times. The assault left the victim with “minor laceration and pain,” police said.
The suspect also attempted to remove the victim’s turban from his head. The victim was of the Sikh faith, NBC New York reported.
The suspect fled on foot along Liberty Avenue, authorities said.
No further injuries were reported and the victim refused further medical treatment, police said.
The NYPD Hate Crimes Unit is investigating.
Police shared photos of the suspect, described as a man between 25 to 35 years old, with a dark complexion, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, with brown eyes and black hair, wearing blue jeans and sneakers.
The Sikh Coalition, a national Sikh faith organization based in New York, said it was in contact with the victim and offering him support.
“We thank allies from across all communities who have spoken out, and urge vigilance for all given the current climate—especially given the heartbreaking recent news out of Illinois,” the organization said in a statement, citing thefatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in suburban Chicago, which authorities have described as an anti-Muslim attack.
“As we stand alongside our allies from all communities, we will continue to insist that no one should have to fear for their personal safety while simply existing in public,” The Sikh Coalition said.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Mark Stewart has said that the department has seen some recent hate crimes in the city fueled by the Israel-Hamas war and tensions in the Middle East, NBC New York reported.
“We don’t tolerate it,” Stewart said. “We don’t condone it.”
