One more Sikh American was as‌sa‌ul‌te‌d in California just days after another man was br‌ut‌all‌y be‌a‌te‌n by a pair of White supremacists in another County in the same state. A video circulating on social media showed two young men harassing 71-year-old Sahib Singh Natt while he was taking a walk. The incident happened in Manteca, a city in San Joaquin County, at about 6 a.m. on August 6.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HqO2tfFrYU

The video showed Natt trying to ignore and walk past the two men, but they followed him before suddenly attacking him. The men did not stop there, but when the old man fell to the ground, they repeatedly kicked him and spat on him.

When Natt attempted to defend himself after getting up, he was kicked down again. The men only left after giving Natt a severe beating, but not before one returned to kick Natt several more times as he lay helplessly on the ground.

http://www.page1.news/turban-saved-sikh-american-from-vicious-attack-by-white-supremacists/

The 71-year-old sustained severe injuries and had to be hospitalised. The man’s ability to communicate with others was severely hampered by an epileptic seizure he had seven years ago.

The attackers were identified by the Manteca Police Department on 8 August, and it was revealed that one of the attackers was the 18-year-old son of the Union City P‌o‌lic‌e Chief, Tyrone Keith McAllister. The a‌ss‌aul‌t which was initially investigated as a r‌obb‌ery is now being relooked to determine if it was a h‌ate c‌ri‌m‌e.

The Police said: “On 08/08/18 the Manteca Police Department arrested Tyrone McAllister (18 years old) and a 16 year old male juvenile for the attack of a 71 year old Sikh male. This truly was a collaborative effort with the police department and entire community.”

It added: “The Manteca Police Department received numerous tips which assisted in the identification of the suspects. Investigations Supervisor Sgt. Miller said, “The public’s assistance in providing information with this case was instrumental in identifying the suspects and allowed my investigators to make a quick arrest.” This investigation is continuing into whether this incident meets all of the legal elements for charging as a hate crime.”

https://www.facebook.com/cityofmanteca/photos/a.1869903033275952.1073741828.1606383689627889/2129683893964530/?type=3&theater

The po‌lic‌e chief in expressing “deep concern for the victim and the victim’s family,” said that he and his wife worked with the Manteca Poli‌‌c‌e Department to track down and ar‌r‌es‌t their son. He condemned his son’s actions in a Facebook post and said that “violence and hatred are not what we have taught our children; intolerance for others is not even in our vocabulary, let alone our values.”

https://www.facebook.com/unioncitypd/posts/2304148612935819

The Sikh Coalition Legal Director Amrith Kaur also commented on the case and said: “We are currently investigating the case and looking to directly connect with the impacted community member to guarantee that his legal rights are protected and that all steps are taken to thoroughly investigate this cr‌im‌e. At this stage, we are closely monitoring the situation in order to determine what the evidence shows the motivation of this vicious a‌tta‌c‌k to be. We hope to learn more soon and will share appropriate updates then.”