Man pepper sprays DC restaurant owner in 'anti-Asian' attack, police say
Authorities are searching for a man who pepper sprayed a store owner in what is being described as a hate-motivated assault, according to the Metropolitan Police Department. (Image: Valley Brook Tea)
WASHINGTON (ABC7) — The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating after a man pepper sprayed a store owner in what is described as a race-motivated assault.
The incident happened Tuesday morning at Valley Brook Tea at 2101 P Street NW. Police said the suspect yelled at the owner from outside the building, then went inside.
According to an incident report, the suspect yelled phrases like "Chinese tea" and "COVID-19." When the owner took out pepper spray and told the suspect to leave, the suspect pulled out his own pepper spray and sprayed the store owner in the face.
The owner posted about the assault on social media, including security video of the attack. The incident report listed the attack as a "race/ethnicity/ancestry/Anti-Asian."
According to the restaurant's Twitter feed, the pepper spray got in the owner's mouth. It also stained his clothing.
The owner said this isn't the first time the tea shop has been targeted, adding, "It seems we're the only business that keeps getting harassed and attacked in this [neighborhood]. We cannot stay in business if this happens on a weekly/monthly basis."
Anyone with information on the incident or person involved should call the Metropolitan Police Department at (202) 727-9099.
