Oh, hell no.
This video, circulating on social media, shows an Asian man -- reportedly an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department [EDIT: or, more likely, just a regular idiot asshole civilian in a police t-shirt] -- repeatedly saying "white power" and throwing up white power signs to antagonize a group of Black Lives Matter protestors demonstrating outside of a 24-Hour Fitness in Hollywood on Thursday morning.
LAPD OFFICER REPEATEDLY YELLS “WHITE POWER” & THROWS UP WHITE POWER SIGN as he antagonizes the family of #AlbertRamonDorsey and #BlackLivesMatter protestors this morning at #Boycott24 demonstration outside 24-Hour Fitness in Hollywood. @WP4BL @shaunking @Jasmyne @CBSNews pic.twitter.com/EnLTG2yfRm
— #BlackLivesMatter-LA (@BLMLA) January 31, 2019
Demonstrators were outside the 24 Hour Fitness location to protest the police killing of 30-year-old Albert Ramon Dorsey, who was fatally shot by LAPD officers inside the locker room of the gym last month.
I don't know who this guy is, if he's an actual police officer or just wearing their shit, but fuck this fucking guy.
UPDATE: While the guy was, at first, widely assumed to be a police officer, the Los Angeles Police Department says he does not appear to be a member of the force -- he's just some idiot wearing a shirt.
We have become aware of an incident involving an individual making racially discriminating remarks in front of a gym in Hollywood this morning.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 31, 2019
Officers from Hollywood Division attempted to make contact with the individual at the scene, but he fled on foot. Anyone with any information regarding this incident is asked to contact the LAPD at (800) 339-6868.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) January 31, 2019
At this point it does NOT appear that the individual in the video is an LAPD Officer, but we will continue to investigate.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) February 1, 2019
Meanwhile, the internet was quick in its attempt to identify the guy as Heon "Hank" Jong Yoo, aka the "Asian Nazi," the 25-year-old former University of Texas student who gained notoriety for posting videos of himself doing racist shit like singing "Dixie" while dressed as a Confederate cavalry member and ranting against the Black Lives Matter movement. But do all, um, Asian Nazis look alike?
In November, Yoo was found guilty of numerous firearms charges in Texas and is looking at several years in federal prison. According to court records, he was booked into the Gregg County Jail last April, with no release date listed. It seems unlikely that he got out and made a jaunt to Hollywood. Plus, dude just looks different. Also a racist asshole, but unfortunately, an entirely different racist asshole.
That still leaves the questions: who the hell is this guy?
UPDATE: Thanks to some folks on Twitter, we've determined that this guy -- who is definitely not a police officer, and definitely not the "Asian Nazi" Hank Yoo -- is named Daniel Sohn, and apparently has a reputation for doing stupid shit. He made some local headlines in Colorado a few years back after he was caught on camera trying to ditch his dog at an animal shelter. Here he is in a 2014 local news story out of Denver:
I mean, you already knew the guy was an asshole. The "white power" thing and all. But he's also cruel to dogs.
Meet the internet, asshole.
