Man attacked at bus stop because of race

SHORELINE, Wash. — A Korean man, Jae Kang Lee, was beaten and dragged into busy Ballinger Way in Shoreline on October 26. Police said the only motivation for the attack appeared to be the victim's race.

They arrested Dion Packard of Arlington and charged him with malicious harassment and assault. Eyewitnesses said the beating was unprovoked. Michael Alford was pumping gas when he noticed the attack at a bus stop just 30 feet away.

He said Packard slammed Lee's head into the bus stop pole and then the man collapsed and Packard started kicking him. The eyewitness said, "It became very scary, very quickly. He said Packard grabbed his victim around the neck and pulled him into Ballinger Way.

Alford said, "It looked to me like he was going to actually throw him into the oncoming traffic." Alford ran out onto the street, waved his arms and said "stop, stop." Two other bystanders joined him to stop the beating and that's when the attacker started to protest. According to Alford, he said, "Why are you helping him? Don't you know this man's Japanese? Don't you know what we did for them in Vietnam?"

Alford said it was totally crazy talk like that that really made no sense. As Packard walked away from the beating, Alford followed him and pointed him out to police who made the arrest.

The victim suffered only minor injuries. According to charging documents, Packard appeared to be either high on something or mentally ill. They took him to a hospital where he was quoted as saying, "I beat him up to keep the white people safe."

KIRO