Cincinnati (AP) — An Ohio man has been charged with a federal hate crime in connection with an alleged attack on an Asian-American student at the University of Cincinnati last year.
Darling Johnson, 26, of Cincinnati, was arrested Nov. 3 after being indicted by a federal grand jury, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio said in a news release.
Federal prosecutors said the victim was preparing to run down the campus streets in August 2021 when Johnson began shouting racial rhetoric and threats at him. Speaking of COVID-19, he shouted: “Go back to your country. . You brought the kung fu flu here. . You will die for bringing it,” prosecutors said.
Johnson then punched the victim on the side of the head, causing him to fall and his head hit the bumper of the parked car, the indictment said. The victim suffered a minor concussion and had cuts to his face, prosecutors said.
Johnson, who was arrested in a parking lot near the recreation center, pleaded guilty in city court in October 2021 to misdemeanor assault and criminal intimidation and was sentenced to nearly a year in county jail, federal prosecutors said.
On Sunday, an email seeking comment was sent to the federal public defender representing Johnson on hate crime charges.
