Photo: Unsplash (Courtesy of Bill Oxford)
April 19, 2021 By Christina Santucci
A 32-year-old Long Island City man is facing hate crime and harassment charges after he allegedly threatened an Asian police officer—who was working undercover—at a Dutch Kills subway station, the NYPD said.
Ricardo Hernandez was arrested at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday on the N subway platform at 31st Street and 39th Avenue. He was charged with aggravated harassment, harassment and menacing – all as hate crimes, police said.
Hernandez allegedly threatened and harassed the officer, saying, “That’s why you people are getting beat up. I got nothing to lose,” according to cops.
He also allegedly told the officer, “I will f••• you up,” and “This is my house,” a spokesperson for the NYPD said.
Hernandez appeared in Queens Criminal Court Sunday and was released from custody, his lawyer said. He is scheduled to return to court in July, according to court records.
His attorney declined to comment on the case.
The NYPD started sending out undercover officers from the Asian Hate Crime Task Force in March to combat the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes.
Between Jan. 1 and April 4, there were 39 hate crimes against Asians reported in New York City – up from 28 during the same period in 2020, NBC reported.
Western Queens residents held a rally to denounce Anti Asian violence in Sunnyside March 5 (Photo: Queens Post)
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