April 19 2021 A New York City man verbally abused and harassed an Asian man on a subway platform and tried to push him onto the tracks. Unexpectedly, the victim then showed him the New York Police Department badge and arrested him.
The harassment occurred on the afternoon of April 17 on a subway platform in Queens, New York City, the New York Daily News and other U.S. media reported Wednesday. Ricardo Hernandez, 32, confronted an Asian man who not only verbally abused him but also tried to push him onto the tracks. Dramatically, however, the Asian-American man who was attacked then showed his police badge and confirmed that he was a plainclothes officer with the New York Police Department. Hernandez was quickly arrested and charged with aggravated harassment and hate crimes.
A spokesman for the New York Police Department said the plainclothes officer was concerned for his safety and considered Hernandez’s behavior violent. The New York Police Commissioner also referred to the incident on Twitter, saying the suspect had no idea that the other person was actually a plainclothes officer. It is reported that the suspect was summoned and has been released.
U.S. media say New York City has deployed plainclothes police from the Asian Hate Crime Task Force since March to curb ongoing attacks against Asians. The incident on the 17th was not the first case of threats against Asian plainclothes police officers, and on 10 April another plainclothes policeman was verbally abused and threatened by a man in the street.
