Charge two in Douglaston hate crime

Saturday morning, a van of four Asian Americans was targeted in an alleged hate crime that took place in Douglaston.
Reynold Liang, John Lu, David Wu and Wing Chung Poon were driving at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 12, when Kevin Brown, a 19-year-old resident of Flushing, and Paul Heavey, a 20-year-old from Little Neck, allegedly drove up next to the vehicle and began yelling racial slurs at the teens. Eventually, the incident escalated and Brown and Heavey allegedly physically harmed Liang and Lu, resulting in injuries such as black eyes, lacerations and loose teeth.
Liang and Lu reportedly went to North Shore University Hospital for treatment and were released.
During a press conference held Monday, August 14 with Councilmember John Liu, as well as Councilmember David Weprin and Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Liang said that he was so angry that he did not even feel the pain, adding that he was hit between 30 and 40 times.
&#8220I’m just very angry because this happened in my neighborhood,” said Liang, a resident of Douglaston and a SUNY Stony Brook student who was driving the van. He continued, &#8220The more hurt I got, the angrier I got.”
Approximately 20 minutes after the confrontation, Brown and Heavey were pulled over by officers from the 111th Precinct, at which time responding Officer Graziano Cillo was injured when Brown attempted to drive away and a door closed on Cillo’s head and arm.
&#8220The defendants’ alleged actions are a throwback to a dark time and place in American history and are an affront to civilized society,” said Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown. &#8220Queens County is the most culturally diverse county in the nation and crimes of hate will never be tolerated here.”
The charges filed against the defendants include assault in the second and third degree as a hate crime, reckless endangerment in the second degree as a hate crime, criminal mischief in the fourth degree as a hate crime, harassment in the second degree, assault in the second degree and resisting arrest.
Councilmember Liu said that he was grateful for the speed in which the defendants were arrested while also saying that it is important they receive the proper punishment.
&#8220The perpetrators of violent crimes in our community must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Liu said. &#8220Because crimes of hate and racial bias have an extensive impact beyond the individuals involved, the law mandates additional penalties against crimes motivated by hate and bigotry. We hope the youths injured in this incident will recover fully.”
Liang, who was joined at the press conference by Lu and Wu, said that he still loves Queens and just wants to make sure that no else has to go through such an ordeal.
&#8220I definitely don’t want this to happen to anyone else,” Liang said. &#8220Queens is a nice area. It’s my home.”
Brown and Heavey each face a sentence of eight to 15 years if found guilty.