BART police are investigating an incident involving a man who yelled racial slurs and assaulted another man on a train Monday night, which was filmed and has since been widely viewed on the internet.
At about 10:10 p.m., at least three riders onboard a Warm Springs station-bound train called police dispatch regarding a disturbance.
In a video that was shared on YouTube, a suspect is seen standing and yelling racial slurs at a man sitting, who appears to be of Asian descent. At one point, the suspect slaps the victim’s face.
During the ordeal, some riders came to the victim’s defense. The video can be seen online.
According to BART officials, police responded and boarded the train at the Union City station, however, they were unable to locate the suspect.
BART officials called the incident “deplorable” and “unfortunate,” but commended the riders who called police and voiced support for the victim without physically intervening.
About 420,000 people ride BART each day, according to BART officials. While the agency says it’s increasing its police presence and hiring 40 new officers, it says that it also relies on riders to report crimes.