WASHINGTON: Prosecutors in the US state Washington confirmed the arrest of an armed man who threatened to kill Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (Democrat-Washington) last Saturday night.
At 11:25 p.m., an armed 48-year-old Seattle man drove to her home three times shouting obscenities, including: “Go back to India, I’ll kill you.” Witnesses heard gunshots, and when officers arrived on the scene, they arrested the man, who had a 40-caliber handgun.
Although the man remained in prison instead of $500,000 bail, the judge denied prosecutors’ request for an anti-harassment order to protect the congresswoman. Seattle Police Department, United States Capitol Police and FBI Investigators are continuing to investigate the case.
Neil Makhija, CEO of The Indian-American Impactan organization dedicated to building Indian-American political power, investing in Indian-American candidates, and winning a surge in Indian-American voters, said in a statement, “We I am so grateful that Representative Jayapal and her family are safe, but we are shocked that they have to endure this horrible hate crime.There is no place for hate in our country, and Representative Jayapal and her family should not live in fear. Today, however, we see it everywhere.”
Makhija added that there were more than 11,000 incidents of hostilities against Asian Americans last year, and nearly 600 more occurred monthly. These hate crimes rarely make the news – even this story about a member of the Conference barely covered by the national media.
“We remain extremely concerned that a request for a criminal harassment protection order has been denied, especially considering the aggressive nature of the incident and the public nature of Congresswoman’s work. Representative Jayapal’s service in Washington’s 7th district is not a threat to her life or the lives of her family,” the Indian American Impact statement added.
Makhija urges the US Congress police and the FBI to conduct a thorough and thorough investigation into this incident and take all necessary safety measures to ensure Representative Jayapal and members of Congress Other Asian Americans are safe in their respective counties and in Washington, DC.
The statement added that recent data indicates that hate crimes against Asians have increased by 339% in the last year alone. “This weekend’s incident represents a growing trend that affects all Americans. Racial injustice is still alive and well in this country, and we must rally to disprove it. Anything less is unacceptable.”
At 11:25 p.m., an armed 48-year-old Seattle man drove to her home three times shouting obscenities, including: “Go back to India, I’ll kill you.” Witnesses heard gunshots, and when officers arrived on the scene, they arrested the man, who had a 40-caliber handgun.
Although the man remained in prison instead of $500,000 bail, the judge denied prosecutors’ request for an anti-harassment order to protect the congresswoman. Seattle Police Department, United States Capitol Police and FBI Investigators are continuing to investigate the case.
Neil Makhija, CEO of The Indian-American Impactan organization dedicated to building Indian-American political power, investing in Indian-American candidates, and winning a surge in Indian-American voters, said in a statement, “We I am so grateful that Representative Jayapal and her family are safe, but we are shocked that they have to endure this horrible hate crime.There is no place for hate in our country, and Representative Jayapal and her family should not live in fear. Today, however, we see it everywhere.”
Makhija added that there were more than 11,000 incidents of hostilities against Asian Americans last year, and nearly 600 more occurred monthly. These hate crimes rarely make the news – even this story about a member of the Conference barely covered by the national media.
“We remain extremely concerned that a request for a criminal harassment protection order has been denied, especially considering the aggressive nature of the incident and the public nature of Congresswoman’s work. Representative Jayapal’s service in Washington’s 7th district is not a threat to her life or the lives of her family,” the Indian American Impact statement added.
Makhija urges the US Congress police and the FBI to conduct a thorough and thorough investigation into this incident and take all necessary safety measures to ensure Representative Jayapal and members of Congress Other Asian Americans are safe in their respective counties and in Washington, DC.
The statement added that recent data indicates that hate crimes against Asians have increased by 339% in the last year alone. “This weekend’s incident represents a growing trend that affects all Americans. Racial injustice is still alive and well in this country, and we must rally to disprove it. Anything less is unacceptable.”
