PHOENIX — Phoenix police are investigating an alleged hate crime against an Asian American man and his two children after the man claims someone yelled "(expletive) Asians" before throwing a beer bottle at him after the Suns game on March 30.
“He hasn’t slept for two days,” said Arizona Asian Chamber of Commerce CEO Vicente Reid.
Reid is friends with the man and says he received a call from him after the incident. “He’s telling me, hey man, I just witnessed a hate crime.”
Reid took to twitter and asked Phoenix Police and the Suns to investigate the incident.
The Phoenix Suns responded, saying they are "working closely with your friend and Phoenix police to thoroughly investigate... discrimination and hate crimes of any nature are not tolerated by @Suns or @PhxArena.”
Suns head coach Monty Williams was asked about the incident during a press conference.
“When these incidents pop up it saddens you. Not because I am a black man, but because I am a man. I’m a human and human beings should treat each other like human beings,” said Williams.
In a statement to 12 News, Phoenix police said they reviewed and determined someone threw a beer bottle, but have not identified a suspect.
Full statement:
"Officers have reviewed video and have determined that the incident did occur, however the suspects were not seen in the video. The victim could not provide a suspect description and he was not injured. The victim reported that he heard someone say 'Asian' and felt the beer can strike him."
The department tells 12 News they investigated two incidents involving bias crimes in the Asian community in 2019 and three incidents last year.
American has seen a sharp spike in attacked against Asian Americans since the start of the pandemic. Reid says something that can be stopped if people embrace each other as equals.
“We need to move forward and we are only going to be able to do that if we work together, learn from each other, be a part of each other’s lives,” said Reid.