Asian Man Attacked in Suspected Hate Crime at Chicago Subway Station

The FBI is asking for help in identifying a suspect accused of attacking an Asian American male at a subway station in Chicago.

The FBI and the Chicago Police Department have released photos, along with a brief video, showing the suspect they want to find in connection to a potential hate crime at the Argyle Station on the CTA's Red Line on August 15.

The suspect is alleged to have followed the victim into the Argyle Station and struck them on the head from behind, causing him to fall.

The FBI said the suspect told the victim he deserved the assault, before using an ethnic slur against the man and his partner.

The suspect is described as a Black male with thin goatee facial hair. He was wearing a diamond stud earring in his right ear, a silver watchband on his left arm, a metallic bracelet on his right arm, a gold neck chain, and a Chicago White Sox baseball cap.

Speaking to WLS, Siobhan Johnson, of FBI Chicago, said the incident is part of a rising trend of hate crimes being committed in the country.

According to recently released figures by the FBI, there were 7,759 criminal incidents and 10,532 related hate crime offenses in 2020, the highest levels for 12 years.

The annual Hate Crime Statistics report revealed that nearly 62 percent of victims were targeted because of their race or ethnicity. There were also 205 multiple-bias hate crime incidents involving a total of 333 victims.

Johnson said the Argyle Station incident could also be part of an ongoing trend where Asians have been targeted in attacks in the U.S. in reaction to the outbreak of the coronavirus, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, in late 2019.

"The concern is that this may be part of a national trend against Asian Americans with violence that we have seen over the past year associated with Coronavirus, but really whatever the reasoning, the FBI concern is still the same, to protect people from being victims of this type of crime," Johnson said.

"So, regardless of why they targeted this individual specifically, you know, we're going to go at it with the full force of everything we can to make sure that justice is done."

No arrests have been made as part of the investigation. FBI Chicago has been contacted for an update.

If you have any information concerning this incident, please contact the FBI Chicago Office at (312)421-6700. You may also contact your local FBI office, the nearest American Embassy or Consulate, or you can submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. All tips can remain anonymous.