Indigenous woman assaulted over COVID-19
Mistaken for Asian as racist incidents rise
VANCOUVER • Police in Vancouver are investigating after an Indigenous woman said she was mistaken for Asian and punched for sneezing.
The assault took place near Fraser and East 33rd on Friday evening, just before 8:30 p.m. While details were sparse, Sgt. Aaron Roed confirmed it was being treated as a hate crime.
“The victim did have minor physical injuries and did not need medical treatment the night of the incident,” Roed said.
“At this time, there have been no arrests and investigators continue to look for a suspect and witnesses.”
The victim was identified as Dakota Holmes, an employee with the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, in a statement issued Sunday morning by the organization.
The union said Holmes was walking her dog when she sneezed due to seasonal allergies. A nearby man described as being Caucasian overheard the sneeze and began “yelling racist slurs about Asian people and COVID-19” before punching Holmes in the face.
“I’m sharing my story to get the message out there that racism is a deadly and sobering threat and every single instance of racism must be addressed and called out by all of us, so that it stops,” Holmes said in a statement.
When the man yelled at her to “go back to Asia,” Holmes said she tried to tell him she was Indigenous but that the verbal and physical assault continued. Eventually Holmes’s dog Kato — a 100-pound Dogo Argentino — scared off the attacker.
“As an Indigenous woman, I am acutely aware that sexism and racism, often intersecting, are part of my life, and I never take chances on my safety.”
In an interview, the 27-year-old woman said she lives in the area and has walked the same route to the park with her dog regularly for a year. She and her dog had walked past the man on the sidewalk when he suddenly turned after hearing her sneeze.
Holmes said the incident happened quickly and that the strength of the “sucker punch” left her on the ground and in shock; she was left with bruising on her temple and jaw.
“It is a traumatizing incident but because I’m Indigenous, it’s sad to say but I’m kind of used to this behaviour,” she said. “It’s hard to get through but, you know, it’s just another day in my life.”
The UBCIC condemned the assault and called on members of the public and various levels of government to “actively oppose racism of any kind during COVID-19 and always.”
Premier John Horgan also released a statement Sunday, condemning racist activity that has been reported during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everyone has a right to live without fear of violence or discrimination. Yet we are hearing disturbing stories of a rise in anti-asian racist behaviour since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he wrote.
“People are being targeted as they go about their daily lives. It is unacceptable. I have said it before: hate has no place in our province and it will not be tolerated. Our strength is in our diversity and we reject all forms of racism, discrimination, intolerance and bigotry.
“Racism is also a virus. Through challenging times, British Columbians must stay united. We are always stronger and more resilient as a province when we treat each other with kindness, generosity and respect. To do so, we must all stand together to call out racism and discrimination when we see it.”
The Vancouver police also encouraged anyone with information about the attack or who had witnessed or experienced a hate crime to contact investigators.
“As a police service, we work hard to build strong relationships with marginalized groups in our community and encourage anyone who has experienced hate, bigotry, or discrimination to call us. Hate crimes and hate incidents have always been significantly underreported,” Roed said.