US Sikh shop owner told brutal assault “was not a hate crime”

A US-based Sikh shop owner who was run over in a brutal assault and told multiple times to “go back to your country” has been told by the district attorney’s office that he was not the victim of a hate crime.

The victim, 61-year-old Lakhwant Singh, has been part of Sikh relief efforts in Colorado, providing aid and essentials to vulnerable members of the local community during the coronavirus pandemic. He was working at his store in Lakewood, Colorado when he was attacked by a customer.

The attacker, 36-year-old Eric Breemen was drunk and in violation of his previous bail conditions when he entered the liquor store that Mr Singh and his wife have run for the past six years. Breemen was wearing an ankle monitor at the time of the incident.

He began harassing the couple and damaged numerous items of merchandise. He shouted profanities and told Mr Singh and his multiple times to “go back to your country”.

Eric Breeman yelled “Go back to your country!” Then he drove into a 61-yr-old Sikh man.

Lakhwant Singh has a broken arm, broken ribs, internal bleeding, a possible clavicle fracture, spinal fracture, and staples in his head.

How is this not a hate crime?https://t.co/d8oW7EyqqJ pic.twitter.com/U8oP16UuFf

— Simran Jeet Singh (@SikhProf) June 12, 2020

The couple asked Breemen several times to leave and when he finally left the store, Mr Singh followed him out to take a photo of his licence plate to report the harassment. Breemen then rammed his vehicle into Singh, throwing him several feet across the parking lot and causing multiple severe injuries. After the attack, Breemen went on a crime spree which resulted in two further assaults.

The attack took place in April 2020, and Mr Singh suffered a broken left arm, broken ribs, internal bleeding, a possible clavicle fracture, spinal fracture, and staples in his head because of the attack. He spent a month in hospital before recently being transferred to a rehabilitation facility.

“I hope that sharing my story sheds further light on the hatred and bigotry faced by Sikhs and others across the country,” said Singh. “Colorado is my home, and I urge the authorities in charge of my attacker’s case to demonstrate, through action, that crimes rooted in hate will not be tolerated.”

Assistant District Attorney Joseph Wasserman: Justice for Lakhwant Singh – get Eric Breeman charged with hate crime. – Sign the Petition! https://t.co/N2Gs24cXFP via @Change

— ਰੁਪਿੰਦਰਸਿੰਘ (@rmahil98) June 14, 2020

Sikh lobby group the Sikh Coalition is providing free legal representation to Lakhwant Singh and has pushed for Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office and the Lakewood County Police Department to treat the assault as a hate crime.

“This was clearly a hate crime under the definition of the law, and we will continue to advocate for this charge because acknowledgment is the first step to fighting hate,” said Amrith Kaur, Sikh Coalition legal director.

However, Pam Russell, spokesperson for the district attorney’s office told local news website indica news that “there is absolutely nothing to indicate that race played any role in this crime.”

“Very often defendants and victims are different races,” she said. When asked if being told “go back to your country” was not racial, Russell said: “Unfortunately, that kind of talk happens all too often, but that in itself is not enough for us to be able to prove he was targeted or attacked for his race.”

Update: The Sikh Coalition’s legal team, which has been retained by Lakhwant Singh in this matter to provide legal assistance, has been in contact with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office. The District Attorney’s Office has confirmed that–despite its’ spokesperson indicating bias motivation charges were not being reviewed–the case is an ongoing investigation and that hate crime charges are, in fact, a part of that investigation. Official charges have yet to be announced, and the Sikh Coalition will continue meeting with the District Attorney’s Office to make sure all factors have been reviewed.