September 17, 2021
OAKLAND, California—Parolee James Lee Ramsey, 25, was initially charged with assault and a hate crime for attacking Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce President Carl Chan on April 29.
However, authorities have dropped hate crime charges against Ramsey after he pleaded no contest for assault, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Chan stated he heard the suspect scream a racial slur, “Foul words, either something bad word like ‘Chinatown or Chinaman,’” he explained.
It seems even a racial slur isn’t enough for a hate crime charge these days.
Chan was knocked to the ground, however, he managed to get back up and took a picture of the assailant with his smartphone. When police arrived, Chan showed them the picture and authorities were able to quickly arrest the suspect not far from the attack.
Ironically, Chan was physically attacked while on his way to visit an assault victim on Thursday, April 29 at 8th and Broadway around 4 p.m.
That assault victim was 68-year-old Hua Zhen Lin who was brutally attacked by a “random” person wielding a walking cane on a bus in Oakland on his way to Chinatown.
Back to Ramsey, he pleaded no contest to assault on September 9th. In exchange for the plea, authorities dropped charges of committing a crime against an elderly person and committing a violent crime while on parole.
“This was not a hate crime, and we’re glad that enhancement was properly dismissed,” Alameda County Chief Public Defender Brendon Woods stated. “Mr. Ramsey needs mental health treatment, not state prison.”
James Lee Ramsey will be sentenced on November 4.
Feature Images via KTVU2