After warning his family for months to be careful about Anti-Asian attacks, a Peninsula man said he was harassed as he was filling his car at a Burlingame gas station. Sergio Quintana reports.
After warning his family for months to be careful about anti-Asian attacks, a Peninsula man said he was harassed as he was filling his car at a Burlingame gas station.
The alleged confrontation happened at the Shell station on Old Bayshore Highway.
The victim didn’t want to reveal his identity because he's worried for his family's safety, but he said yelling started as he finished fueling up.
“This guy stepped out of his car shirtless, and he started yelling to me and he was like 'someone should shoot all you Asians, I will shoot you all,’” said the victim.
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When NBC Bay Area showed up to get video of the station, the same truck, with the same license plate, was parked there.
Our cameras went up to him attempting to get his side of the story but he did not want to talk.
Burlingame police said they did send an officer to the scene Wednesday when the alleged harassment happened and an officer talked to the driver.
California
He's someone they know from prior calls - but no arrest was made and no charges were filed.
The victim said he understands why no arrest was made, but it's frustrating.
“I think when I first moved to the United States, I never thought the American dream would look like this,” he said.
Because of so many incidents of harassment, and violence against the Asian community lately, a coalition of groups is hosting a self defense event in Chinatown's Portsmouth Square Saturday.
“We have over 50 folks volunteering to help describe how to use these devices properly, and safely,” said Michelle Tran of Soar Over Hate.
Organizers say the aim is to distribute pepper spray and personal alarms to everyone who attends.
“We've heard from so many folks that have told us that by having pepper spray or a personal alarm, they felt so much more free to go about their everyday lives,” said Kenji Jones of Soar Over Hate.
For now, the guy who says he was recently harassed said he prefers keeping an eye on his family to make sure they're safe.
“When I drive my grandma in law to go shopping to buy things, I look like her bodyguard, because I have to check the surroundings,” he said.
But he does appreciate that members of the community are coming together to try and do something about the violence.
