Asian shop owner punched in the face in Washington, DC

A Washington, D.C., shop owner was punched in the face during a confrontation with a customer Tuesday. 

Max Trading owner Chong Hu Lu said he was punched in the face after a customer got upset about his store’s policy of not removing the jewelry from the case and started to yell obscenities, according to a tweet posted by WRC reporter Aimee Cho on Wednesday.

ASIAN SHOP OWNER ATTACKED: Chong Hu Lu, owner of Max Trading in NE DC, says he was punched yesterday in the face by a customer. Lu says the customer got upset about the store’s policy of not removing jewelry from the case and then yelled “F*** you Chinese people, I hate you” pic.twitter.com/ciUDgGEjaY

— Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) May 5, 2021

Surveillance video was released showing the attack, which resulted in Lu receiving 14 stitches, according to the Cho’s post. 

This surveillance video shows the attack. The attacker ran away + hasn’t been arrested. DC Police tell me they are “investigating the attack as potentially being motivated by hate/bias.” Lu tells me he had to get 14 stitches. Full story ahead at 4/5/6p on News4 @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/dJf2wdCyjH

— Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) May 5, 2021

The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) shared in a statement details of the incident in an email to The Hill. 

“On Tuesday, May 4, at approximately 1:46 pm, the suspect entered a business located in the 1300 block of 4th Street NE. The suspect asked the store owner to look at jewelry behind the glass. The store owner refused and the suspect assaulted the store owner and fled the scene,” the MPD said in its statement. “The victim was transported to a local hospital for non-life threatening injuries. This incident is being actively investigated as potentially being motivated by hate/bias. We are asking for the public’s assistance – please call 202-727-9099 or text 50411 if you have any information.”

This incident comes as violence targeting Asian Americans has become more common during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Senate passed a hate crimes bill last month in order to address the surge in anti-Asian attacks.