Gov. Andrew Cuomo directs the Hate Crimes Task Force to investigate racial attack related to the coronavirus.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has directed the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to investigate an assault on an Asian woman in Manhattan on Tuesday that was possibly motivated by racism related to the coronavirus outbreak.
On Tuesday morning around 9:30 a.m., an Asian woman walking on 34th street between 5th and 6th avenues in Midtown Manhattan was punched by an unknown female assailant.
The suspect yelled “Where is your corona mask, you Asian bitch” as she punched the victim in the face. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital with a possible dislocated jaw according to media reports.
Cuomo directed the State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to assist in the investigation in conjunction with the New York City Police Department.
In a statement released Wednesday, Cuomo said he was “disgusted” to hear of the incident and stated the attack was seemingly “motivated by the bigoted notion that an Asian person is more likely to carry or transmit the novel coronavirus.”
“To be clear: there is zero evidence that people of Asian descent bear any additional responsibility for the transmission of the coronavirus,” Cuomo said. “No one in this state should ever feel intimidated or threatened because of who they are or how they look.”
