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Police Arrest Suspect in Punching of Asian Business Owner in Northeast DC

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The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) arrested a man in connection with a possible hate crime against an Asian business owner in Northeast Washington last month.

The suspect, identified as 30 year-old Samuel Delwyn Thomas, of Cockeysville, Maryland, was arrested on Thursday, MPD said in a release. He has been charged with “aggravated assault.”

Thomas is accused of attacking Chong Hu Lu by punching him in the face in the latter’s jewelry store, Max Trading Corp., located in the 1300 Block of 4th Street, Northeast, on May 4.

“The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating this offense as potentially being motivated in whole or in part by hate or bias,” according to the MPD release, which adds that the designation can change at any point throughout the investigation based on new information collected.

Lu told the media that the man became upset because he wasn’t permitted to remove jewelry from their case at the store, and yelled “F*** you Chinese people, I hate you” before attacking him. He then fled the scene.

A surveillance video that captured the incident shows a man in a blue shirt walking up to Lu, talking to him, and punching him after a short dialogue, knocking him over. The suspect keeps hitting Lu on the floor until two people run for Lu’s help and pull the man from behind.

Lu says he was hospitalized and received 14 stitches following the assault.

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