Photo: Unsplash (Courtesy of Bill Oxford)
April 19, 2021 By Christina Santucci
A 32-year-old Long Island City man is facing hate crime and harassment charges after he allegedly threatened an Asian police officer—who was working undercover—at a Dutch Kills subway station, the NYPD said.
Ricardo Hernandez was arrested at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday on the N subway platform at 31st Street and 39th Avenue. He was charged with aggravated harassment, harassment and menacing – all as hate crimes, police said.
Hernandez allegedly threatened and harassed the officer, saying, “That’s why you people are getting beat up. I got nothing to lose,” according to cops.
He also allegedly told the officer, “I will f••• you up,” and “This is my house,” a spokesperson for the NYPD said.
Hernandez appeared in Queens Criminal Court Sunday and was released from custody, his lawyer said. He is scheduled to return to court in July, according to court records.
His attorney declined to comment on the case.
The NYPD started sending out undercover officers from the Asian Hate Crime Task Force in March to combat the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes.
Between Jan. 1 and April 4, there were 39 hate crimes against Asians reported in New York City – up from 28 during the same period in 2020, NBC reported.
Western Queens residents held a rally to denounce Anti Asian violence in Sunnyside March 5 (Photo: Queens Post)
4 Comments
People need to understand that many of these unprovoked attacks and harassment is being caused by people suffering from mental illness. Many mentally ill people can not control their thoughts or behavior. But i guess it makes for a better story to blame it on privilege and racism.
You refused to post my comments regarding the LIC Man Facing Hate Crime Charges. You did not have the courage, and,or decency to inform me of your reasoning. I went to high school and Nursing School in Manhattan, worked as an R.N. at a major Med. Ctr in Manhattan before moving to Ca. The S.D . Convention is overwhelmed with MINOR children escaping violence, etc from as far away as Central Amer. It is NOT uncommon for people to die crossing the mts. into S.D., or drowning off the coast when their overcrowded, dilapated panga boats overturn. We have a huge Chicano population, large Asian- Amer. Population. When there is a racist comment made to a community member, it is called out for what is, by the press and TV. The press publishes letters to the editor in the SDUT. The cops press charges of hate crimes; if the victim is a senior, Senior Abuse charges are also filed. We DO NOT deny the word racist. Please have the courage to reply this e mail. The Sunnyside of my youth appears to sadly no longer exist. Thank You
And he was released within hours, as the judge said an hold him due to the bail reform.
Bail reform changed nothing about this. WOW you’re out of the loop.
Why don’t Republicans take violence against police seriously?