Los Angeles police are searching for a suspect who was caught on surveillance video assaulting an Asian man earlier this week, authorities said.
Video footage released by police shows the suspect using his elbow to strike the victim in the face while the two were outside a storefront in the neighborhood of Koreatown on Monday. The “unprovoked” attack, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, resulted in the victim falling to the ground, appearing to be unconscious in the video.
After the assault, a bystander approached the suspect, confronted him and a dialogue ensued between the two, the video shows. Then, the suspect picked up the unconscious victim and handed him to the bystander. The attacker proceeded to walk away from the bystander and the victim and doesn’t appear to interact with them further. It is not clear from the video what happened further.
Los Angeles police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspect and say they’re actively investigating the attack.
The Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations said it is contacting the LAPD to ensure that detectives are exploring any evidence of a potential hate crime, including witness or suspect interviews, social media posts, and comments made by the suspect about the incident. Authorities have yet to state any determinations whether the assault constitutes a hate crime.