Man Charged In Racist Upper Merion Assault Involving Dog: Police

UPPER MERION, PA — Charges have been filed after an Upper Merion resident was attacked by a dog and then another man in what a national advocacy group has called an incident of anti-Islamic racism.

The incident occurred on Saturday, Sept. 5 at the Kingswood Apartment complex in King of Prussia.

According to the Council on American-Islamic Relations Philadelphia chapter, the victim, Farrukh Abbas Hashmi, was walking in the neighborhood when an unleashed dog approached and bit him.

When Hashmi confronted the dog's owner about the situation, the man threatened Hashmi with racial slurs before hitting him, according to CAIR and a video which captured the exchange. "Go back to your country," the man yells in the video.

Police have charged the man with ethnic intimidation, harassment, disorderly conduct, and violation of the township's ordinance on the confinement and control of dogs. 6ABC reported the victim's name as William Butler.

“No one should have to endure the vicious attack Mr. Hashmi experienced from both animal and man," CAIR-Philadelphia’s Civil Rights Attorney Timothy Welbeck said in a statement. "We are pleased that the Upper Merion Township Police Department took this matter seriously and elected to bring charges against the individual responsible for this heinous attack."

In a statement, the township said that they condemned the incident.

"Upper Merion Township does not tolerate harassment or intimidation in any form, and certainly not that which is racially or ethnically motivated," they said in part of their statement. "We are deeply sorry that the victim in this incident had to endure this physical and verbal harassment while walking in the community."

CAIR said that they would represent Hashmi as the case proceeded in court.

A preliminary hearing for the suspect in the case if forthcoming.