LAPD investigating Koreatown assault on Air Power vet as imaginable hate crime

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating an alleged assault final week on a U.S. Air Power old vogue in Koreatown as a likely hate crime, in step with investigators.

Denny Kim, 27, told NBC News Los Angeles that he changed into once assaulted, knocked to the floor and his nostril broken final Tuesday by two men who hurled racial slurs treasure “ching chong” and “Chinese language virus.”

Kim’s good friend, Joseph Cha, said he changed into once account for at the alleged match and changed into once furthermore known as racial slurs as he screamed at the attackers to terminate.

LAPD Detective Hee Cho confirmed to NBC News that an investigation is ongoing and that the alleged Feb. 16 incident is being handled as a likely hate crime.

“I changed into once disturbed for my lifestyles, as you’d watch the physical accidents on my face,” Kim told NBC Los Angeles. “And I didn’t know what to take into tale it. It changed into once all simply a blur … I changed into once simply attempting to defend my lifestyles.

In a text message to NBC News on Wednesday evening, Kim credited his good friend Cha with ending the assault.

“They told me they were going to homicide me. That’s when my good friend Joseph Cha arrived and saved my lifestyles. He chased and jumpy the aggressors away,” Kim wrote.

Los Angeles Assembly Member Miguel Santiago condemned the alleged assault in an announcement posted to Twitter.

“Sufficient is enough and we cannot be bystanders,” Santiago wrote. “We need to step up to make stronger our AAPI neighbors!”