A group of teens flung whipped cream at an Asian couple during a hate-fueled, caught-on-video incident in Downtown Brooklyn last month, police said Thursday.
The couple, both 29, were outside the City Point shopping mall at Albee Square near Fulton St. just before 10 p.m. on Oct. 19 when the four teens approached them.
The youths pulled back the corners of their eyes with their fingers — mocking the couple’s Asian features — and taunted the pair by screaming “ni hao!” which is “hello” in Chinese.
One of them, a girl, was toting a can of whipped cream, according to a video taken by the couple and given to police.
The video shows the girl spritzing the whipped cream into the hand of another teenage girl, who then flings it on the victims, before the foursome run off, the video shows.
No injuries were reported.
The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident.
Members of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which fights racial hatred of all stripes, on Thursday decried the cruel display of bigotry.
“We condemn this alleged attempt at racist harassment and urge law enforcement authorities to redouble their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice,” said CAIR-NY Executive Director Afaf Nasher. “Members of all minority communities must be able to go about their daily lives without fear of being targeted by bigots.”
Investigators recovered surveillance footage of the teens as they entered a nearby subway station.
Police on Thursday released surveillance images of the youths in hopes someone recognizes them.
Anyone with information regarding the suspects’ whereabouts is urged to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
