Title: Ohio Man Admits to Committing Hate Crime Against Asian American Student in 2021
An unfortunate incident unfolded at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio, where Darrin Johnson, a local resident, admitted to committing a hate crime against an Asian American college student in 2021. According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, Johnson attacked the victim and blamed him for the Covid-19 pandemic due to his race.
Johnson, 27, could face a maximum sentence of approximately twenty months in prison as a result of the attack. The United States Attorney, Kenneth L. Parker, issued a statement expressing his unwavering commitment to combating hate crimes in society. He emphasized that the office would continue utilizing its federal law enforcement authority to investigate and prosecute cases like this one.
An attorney representing Johnson did not provide a comment when CNN reached out for information on the case as of Thursday.
The assault took place during a period marked by an increase in reported anti-Asian bias incidents, both verbally and physically, fueled by the coronavirus pandemic. The first recorded cases of Covid-19 emerged in 2019 in China.
As per the statement from the United States Attorney’s Office, Johnson approached the victim in August 2021 and accused him of being responsible for the Covid-19 pandemic due to his race. He threatened the victim’s life, employing a derogatory term for Covid-19 that carries racist connotations – ‘kung flu.’
Johnson then proceeded to assault the victim, causing him to fall and hit his head on a parked car’s bumper. The attack continued until two bystanders intervened and restrained Johnson. The victim sustained injuries including, but not limited to, an orbital contusion, facial lacerations, and acute head injury.
A federal grand jury indicted Johnson in November 2022 based on the evidence gathered from the incident. Considering his guilty plea, prosecutors have recommended a sentence of twenty-two months in prison.
Johnson previously faced state charges of misdemeanor assault and criminal intimidation in October 2021, for which he was sentenced to 360 days in a county jail.
It is crucial to remember that hate has no place in our communities and society, and the legal system will continue its efforts to ensure justice for victims of hate crimes.
