The subject identified as Darrin Johnson, 26, allegedly physically and verbally attacked a person of Asian origin near the University of Cincinnati campus
A man is facing federal hate crime charges against a man of Asian descent after assaulting him in Cincinnati, Ohio, allegedly on the basis of race.
The subject identified as Darrin Johnson, 26, was indicted by a grand jury this week on federal hate crime charges for a 2021 incident in which he allegedly attacked an Asian student near the University of Cincinnati campus. according to a press release from the Department of Justice.
The department alleged that Johnson, who is black, yelled at the victim to “go back to your country” during the assault, Fox News reported.
Johnson was singled out for allegedly threatening to kill his victim during an attack. Documents state that he hit his victim with his head, causing him to fall and hit his skull on the bumper of a parked car. “You brought the kung flu here,” Johnson reportedly said, the suspect reportedly said. “You’re going to die to bring it.”
Following the brutal attack, the victim, who has not been identified, suffered multiple injuries, including a concussion, as well as lacerations to his face. If convicted in federal court, Johnson could face up to 10 years in prison.
Johnson reportedly pleaded guilty to another misdemeanor count of criminal assault and intimidation in October 2021, and was sentenced to one year in jail.
According to a Stop AAPI Hate report, published in 2021, a reported 9,000 cases of anti-Asian hate crime have been recorded since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Likewise, the NYPD noted at the beginning of the year that hate crimes against Asians in the state increased by 343% in 2021.
President Biden signed into law the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act in 2021, which created a new position in the Department of Justice to expedite the review of potential hate crimes related to the pandemic virus.