Suspect Slaps, Yells Racial Slurs At BART Rider

BAY AREA — A video posted to YouTube of an Asian man being verbally abused and assaulted has sparked an investigation by BART Police, and outrage by some viewers of the video that more was not done to defend the man.

It happened on a Warm Springs-bound train Monday night. At about 10:10 p.m., at least three riders called police dispatch regarding a disturbance.

The video shows a suspect standing and yelling racial slurs at a man sitting. At one point, the suspect slaps the victim's face. During the ordeal, some riders came to the victim's defense while others walked away.

According to BART officials, police responded and boarded the train at the Union City station, however, they were unable to locate the suspect.

BART officials called the incident "deplorable" and "unfortunate," but commended the riders who called police and voiced support for the victim without physically intervening.

About 420,000 people ride BART each day, according to BART officials. While the agency says it's increasing its police presence and hiring 40 new officers, it says that it also relies on riders to report crimes.

BART officials said that riders can report crimes to 911, (510) 464-7000 or by downloading the BART Watch app.

If you recognize the suspect in Monday night's incident, call BART police investigations at (510) 464-7040.

Watch Now: Suspect Slaps, Yells Racial Slurs at BART Rider

— Bay City News contributed to this report; Image and video via YouTube

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