man charged in hate crime assault of sikh convenience store clerk

In Seattle, a man is facing assault and hate crime charges for accosting a Sikh convenience store clerk last week. 35-year-old Brock Stainbrook is accused of calling the victim a terrorist then attacking him: Seattle man attacked shopkeeper, calls victim a terrorist.

Writing the court, a Seattle detective said Stainbrook entered the 7-11 store in at 362 Denny Way. The clerk was standing near a coffee machine when Stainbrook accosted him.

"For unknown reasons a person threw change on the floor near the victim's feet then punched the victim on the left side of the head," the detective said.

"After the suspect struck (the clerk) with his fist he said, 'You're not even American, you're Al-Qaeda. Go back to your country.'"

Another employee then stepped in, forcing Stainbrook to leave the store. As he did so, police allege the man tried to kick the second employee and damaged a barcode scanner.

Police arrested Stainbrook walking nearby minutes later. Confronted by police, he allegedly admitted that he "struck a person on his turban" because he disliked him. While the alleged victim's ethnic background is not noted in court documents, his surname is common within the Sikh community.

Ignorant-ass idiot. Stainbrook has been charged with fourth-degree assault and malicious harassment. Here's the press release from the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, which commends authorities for charging Stainbrook with a hate crime: SALDEF Commends Hate Crime Charge in Seattle Attack.