A San Francisco mother is calling for urgency and accountability after a man allegedly shouted anti-Asian racist comments on a Muni bus and even pulled out a stun gun at one point.
The incident happened on Wednesday while Liz Le’s son was on the bus along with other Lowell High School students.
There is no video released by the SFMTA or SFPD that shows the person who shouted the racial slurs, and that is what concerns the mother.
The person is still around while many students continue to take the bus.
“He has to use public transportation every day, just like a lot of kids, and there’s been a lot of Asian hate in our city, but there’s not a lot of accountability,” Le said.
She said there is a lack of urgency in addressing anti-Asian hate in San Francisco, especially after the recent incident on a Muni bus.
Her 14-year-old son was walking home from Lowell with a friend when a man began shouting discriminatory and racist comments.
“Using the slur and then saying Asians are ruining this country, they need to leave,” Le said.
She said her son was shocked and scared.
“He said that when this man was shouting these things, he would look at his feet and try not to make eye contact because he was very afraid that as soon as he made eye contact – because he looks Asian-American – the guy would start attacking him in a more direct and personal,” said Le.
She said other passengers tried to intervene and that’s when the man became more aggressive and pulled out a stun gun.
“Chaos ensued and the bus stopped and let people off,” Le said. “He [her son] He went out and hid behind a tree and his friend ran the other way,” Le said.
San Francisco police said that on Wednesday around 3:15 p.m., they arrived at Sunset Boulevard and Santiago Street and met with a caller who said a man on the bus yelled slurs at people and pulled what it was described as a taser. The person then fled and has not been seen since.
SFMTA says surveillance of the bus is being monitored by SFPD to identify the suspect and adds in a statement, “We are taking this incident very seriously and are working with SFPD to find this suspect. We do not tolerate crime, harassment and hate attacks against munis and we are grateful to passengers who reported this to us.”
Police are yet to share any video of the incident.
In a statement, District 4 Supervisor Joel Engardio said in part: “This is a sobering reminder that ensuring public safety is our most important job. I heard from many parents who were upset by this incident. If residents don’t feel safe about their daily lives, nothing else matters.”
Le hopes more can be done to protect students like his son.
“I think it’s very traumatic for children, I don’t think we can understand it clearly right away, I think that’s the most painful part because they’re young,” she said.
Le hopes more people who were on that bus come forward.
San Francisco police are asking anyone with information to call them.
This story originally appeared on NBCNews.com read the full story
