Sikh man beaten, spat on. 'Devastated' police chief says suspect is 'my 18-year old son'

[jpak]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/08/09/sikh-man-beaten-spat-on-devastated-police-chief-says-suspect-is-my-18-year-old-son/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.4f5818be52c4

A surveillance video of the brutal attack began circulating widely across social media earlier this week, drawing anger from the large Sikh community in California’s Central Valley.

It shows a 71-year-old Sikh man, later identified as Sahib Singh Natt, strolling on a sidewalk by a park near his home in Manteca, Calif., at about 6 a.m. Monday. Two hooded men are seen walking up to Natt, confronting him. One of the men repeatedly kicks Natt, knocking him down and causing him to hit his head. They start walking away, but one of men turns back and kicks Natt three more times while he’s already on the ground. The man spits on Natt before leaving him lying on the street, alone.

Natt, who does not speak English, couldn’t understand what the men were saying, Manteca police said. He was hospitalized and later released.

The disturbing assault, which took place days after a different attack on a Sikh man in Central California, prompted calls for a hate crime investigation. It drew about 200 local residents to a rally at the park where the confrontation took place. It also jolted the greater Sikh community across the state, including in Union City, about 60 miles away.

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[Johnny2X2X]

1. The President is urging this every single day

He has called immigrants animals and an infestation. His followers are attacking immigrants in alarming numbers.

[cwydro]

5. You really think this police chief is a tRump follower?

I have my doubts.

[yardwork]

31. The attackers were most likely influenced by Trump's hateful words.

When the president of the United States uses his bully pulpit to describe immigrants the way he does, day after day, of course this influences people.

Individuals don't have to be Trump voters or Trump followers to be influenced by the president's words.

[bdamomma]

33. so sad

editing post after reading article, I hope his son straightens himself out.

[workinclasszero]

42. Hate crimes exploded the minute Trump took office

They will continue to escalate as long as the racist bastard in chief remains there, IMO.

[atreides1]

2. My goodness

It makes you wonder what kind of home environment his son was brought up in, doesn't it???

[MineralMan]

3. Please click on and read the entire story, OK?

Thanks.

[cwydro]

4. Yes. Indeed.

This op will sink quickly as soon as people do that.

[MineralMan]

6. I've come to the conclusion that only a tiny minority of DUers

ever click through to the full story.

That makes me sad.

[cwydro]

11. I think most don't.

Whether they feel foolish in hindsight is another question.

[MineralMan]

14. I try not to comment until I've read the story at the link.

Sometimes, that's not even enough, and I have to go look for more information if I don't trust the original source.

We've stopped checking things out thoroughly, collectively. We need to redevelop that habit.

[cwydro]

16. I agree completely.

Oftentimes even the headline has nothing to do with the story.

[MineralMan]

18. Sometimes it's just accidental, of course.

In this OP, the information about the Police Chief was not even in the quoted excerpt, which is what sent me to the link.

Attacks on Sikhs are always very troubling. It's almost always a case of mistaken identity, based on dress and appearance. The Sikh community faces this on a daily basis, because turbans are falsely connected to Islam and nobody knows anything about the Sikh religion.

In this particular incident, the problem was exacerbated by the race of the attacker, too. What a morass we've gotten ourselves into, thanks to Trump and his White Nationalist supporters!

[Pacifist Patriot]

17. Absolutely!

That and not automatically jumping to conclusions about bad parenting. I haven't the time or energy to source DU examples, I just know I've seen an awful lot of instantly blaming parents without knowing a single thing about the circumstances. To the point I just expect to see it as a foregone conclusion. Not just here, it's everywhere. Reserving judgment until more is known is as lacking as source and fact checking these days.

[LisaM]

27. I do read the stories, but this one is behind a paywall

and sometimes people post video links (which I basically don't comment on; I prefer to read rather than watch a story).

In this case, I'm going to go find a non-paywall version so I can read it. I couldn't agree more about misleading headlines; I try to point them out.

[LisaM]

28. Here's a link to a non-paywall version.

It also has a link to the open letter the Police Chief wrote about his estranged son.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/crime/article/Union-City-police-chief-s-son-arrested-for-13142519.php

[marble falls]

29. Thanks. Its a pain to get around some paywalls, WaPo, LA Times particularly.

[erronis]

41. I open WaPo links in a private or icognito window - no paywall but I can't block the ads

Between various adblockers and uMatrix/uOrigin and other plug-ins, most junk stays off my screen.

To be sure I do pay for lots of content (NYT, Guardian, science feeds, etc.)

[marble falls]

48. Its hard to justify paying for a subscription to a paper I might read only several times a month.

[marble falls]

30. Have trouble with the SFChron link, here's another ...

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Sikh-Man-Attacked-Manteca-Central-California-490388951.html

[Brother Buzz]

35. Some of us cheapskates can't because of Washington Post's paywall

Here's one of many links to the story not protected by a wall:

https://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2018/08/sikh_man_beaten_spat_on_devast.html

[malaise]

7. It shouldn't

On the contrary -they seem like a decent family.

[marble falls]

32. Kids lose their ways in any sort of family. This family seems to have worked hard to do right by ...

their son. But there is always a way to redemption and if there is any spirit of it in this young man he seems to have a wonderful support from his parents to accomplish it.

We are a nation of second, third, fourth ... chances and there is always always always a way to come back from darkness in one's heart.

Thank G*d no-one was killed.

[Anon-C]

12. No, Cwydro, it won't!

It doesn't phase me in the least that this pathetic criminal is the black son of a black police chief.

It doesn't change the fact he's a criminal and this appears a racist act.

So how about I just keep kicking this thread for visibility!

[cwydro]

15. It certainly is, and as I posted downthread -

it shows how ridiculous it is to state only whites can be bigoted.

[ProfessorGAC]

8. Reading The Whole Thing Changes Things

Doesn't it? Especially the part where the chief says that intolerance is not part of their family culture.

[MineralMan]

9. Yes. The young man appears to have left that family's

influence. Very sad for that father, I'm sure.

[cwydro]

13. I can't help but remember a post on this very board,

stating only white people could be bigoted.

[ProfessorGAC]

19. Did You Mean To Reply To Me?

I didn't say anything about race, at all. I was more commenting that the dad seemed like a good guy who tried to instill good values in his kids.

[brer cat]

24. I have never seen a post stating that,

but if it was stated that way, it is wrong. Black people cannot be racist but they can be bigoted. Some people don't get the difference.

[cwydro]

45. Yes they can.

Not a race in this world that can’t be racist.

[Solomon]

59. You beat me to it. There's a difference in being

racist and being bigoted. Lots of people dont understand that.

[brer cat]

61. No matter how many times it is explained.

sigh.

[cwydro]

44. Yes, I replied to you, but you weren't the one with the

ridiculous statement.

[bettyellen]

53. They probably said racist, not bigoted as racism is used to denote systematic bigotry- to set it

apart from individuals w bigoted behavior. White people dont face the effects of racism the way POC do every damn day in America. Random acts of assholery need to be common and relentless to add up to racism.

[mythology]

10. Kind of awkward.

[still_one]

36. Exacatly MM. it wasn't his home environment or the parents in this case

[uponit7771]

38. Oh God, I've seen this before ... a friend of mine is serving life for murder and

... grew up around all kids who went to military, college, vocational school we all played sports to get to college or had art talents including him.

Most of the block grew up with both parents including him. Middle class working families community involved, union people. While there were gangs around we were never tight with them to be called part of their crew.

We did teenager stuff but never something this stupid, well ... nothing we paid for with full consequences.

The only thing I would change about this kids upbringing is who my friend started to hang around once he was in high school; being able to see the consequences of hanging out with people who are bad news for the thrill of it ... thinking they aren't touchable.

But this kid was on some chain, you'd think ... just damn

[lapfog_1]

20. Lot of Sikhs here in the central valley

my best friend is one of them.

You really don't want to mess with them... they are a gentle people.. however, if angered, they are also the warriors of Indian culture... many serve in the Indian army... and in the British forces in past generations. Known to be absolutely fearless in battle.

[Baitball Blogger]

21. Assimilation gone awry.

I have written before how the high school friends I grew up with have assimilated in a very harsh way. They are spouting Alex Jones points because he is setting the pace. One black friend is DoD and I think he is excessive in his belief, and I suspect he is doing it because he learned early that being a black man that conservatives can trust will give him job security.

Now, this young man, who is black, may have grown up in a warm, loving family but he needs to make his way in a world where is will be a target to others. And he knows it. He isn't old enough to understand that the hate that he hears for foreigners, is the same hate that is directed to minority Americans -- and that will never change. But he doesn't know that. So, it's the whole cycle of abuse thing, directing all that uncertainty into attacking a foreigner, because that might be the one thing that will help cross the divide of hate that is directed at him.

[Tipperary]

25. Excuse. And a bad one.

[Baitball Blogger]

49. Cycle of abuse must be measured on a 1 to 1 basis.

No question he should feel the full brunt of the law for his actions. I don't see any mitigating circumstances here.

[struggle4progress]

22. We've been here before and resistance is essential

[Tipperary]

23. Interesting story.

Rec.

[unc70]

26. Second Sikh victim putting up GOP signs

Interesting that second Sikh victim was putting up campaign signs for GOP candidates.

[marble falls]

34. Interesting and an unfortunate situation where white racists will be able to self justify their ...

own outrages.

[Tipperary]

43. Why not face the fact that racism exists in all groups?

It is not confined to whites.

[marble falls]

50. You seem awfully worked up about that and yet no-ones argued with you. I think that institutional...

racism is just one example of racism that PoC just do not have. That racism is a core of white male privilege.

I think that a significant amount of "racism" has to with issues of powerlessness a lot of young black males feel. It has nothing to do with projecting "black power" over another race, it does have to do with projecting personal power over another individual independent of race; with race only coming into it after the attack, usually by wypipo looking for "reverse racism" whatever the fuck that is.

I'm not going to argue the point, but I am curious as to why you are so worked up over it.

[Tipperary]

58. Lol. The "wypipo" argument.

This was a fucking hate crime.

[marble falls]

60. Bullshit. What's your personal animus about? Were/are you a victim of racism?

[SunSeeker]

40. Reminds me of the vet who voted for Trump then his wife was deported.

Anyone who votes for Trump is enabling hate crime. Trump engages in hate speech on a daily basis, and did so before the election. I don't know what these minority Trump voters were thinking.

The effect of this crime on all of the families is heartbreaking. Glad Virk will be ok. But sounds like the Police Chief has lost a son.

[Gothmog]

37. This was a hate crime and should be charged as a hate crime

[uponit7771]

39. delete

[Gothmog]

51. Why?

From the article cited in the OP

His son, Tyrone McAllister, was arrested along with a 16-year-old on charges of attempted robbery, elder abuse and assault with a deadly weapon. Police say that one of the assailants waved a firearm in the air as the group left the scene of the attack. He has not filed a plea and has offered no comment.

Authorities are also investigating whether the incident “meets all of the legal elements for charging as a hate crime,” Manteca police wrote in a press release.

To me this incident meets the definition of a hate crime

[MyNameIsKhan]

46. I live in Union City and obviously very sad !

[GoCubsGo]

47. Let me guess... A couple of dumbasses who saw a man wearing a turban,

and assumed he was a Muslim? A Sikh man was killed in Phoenix the day after 9-11 by some revenge-seeking yokel who saw his turban, and assumed he was a Muslim. I wouldn't be surprised if these attacks were in the same vein. These loonies have had their hatreds whipped up so badly, they're attacking anyone who vaguely resembles the objects of their hate. That's damn scaryl

[GoCubsGo]

55. Really?

I see nothing in the article that gives an actual motive for this attack. In fact, it says that his turban may have attracted his attackers to him.

[nini]

57. I know other parents who have kids like that

One goes rogue and the others are model citizens. It's so strange.

I'm glad the chief handled it the way he did. Crime has many victims and his honesty may help address the many aspects of this hateful act.