IndiaPost.com - Seattle attacker of Sikh jailed for 9 months

SEATTLE, WA: A judge in Seattle has sentenced Luis Vazquez to 9 months in jail and 240 hours of community service for his hate assault on Sukhvir Singh last November. More than two dozen Sikhs from the Seattle community along with some members of the broader community attended the hearing in support of Sukhvir Singh and to send a strong message of standing up against racism and prejudice. Sukhvir Singh suffered a brutal, hate-filled attack on the night of November 24, 2007 after police directed a drunken Vazquez to Sukhvir’s cab.

Vazquez called Sukhvir an "Iraqi terrorist" and threatened to kill him. As his anger escalated, he attacked Sukhvir from the back seat, putting him in a chokehold, knocking off his turban, biting into his head, and pulling out clumps of his hair. The attack led to traffic being held up on Interstate 5 highway until the police intervened.

Deputy Prosecutor Mike Hogan asked for a two-year jail term for Vazquez. The Prosecutor noted, however, that Sukhvir had been forgiving of the attack. During the hearing Sukhvir Singh said that he wanted to offer forgiveness to Vazquez and that he did no want his life to be ruined. Vazquez did not have any previous criminal offenses and did not contest the charges, instead choosing to plead guilty to a hate crime. Many members of the Sikh community spoke at the hearing to express the frustration and anguish the community has felt on account of this and other hate filled incidents targeting the young and old in the community.

Hardeep Singh, a community attorney helping Sukhvir Singh expressed how the incident had affected him at a personal level and how he expected the judgment to ensure that hate and prejudice was not accepted in our communities. Vazquez also spoke at the hearing.

He expressed remorse for the attack during his remarks and asked for forgiveness from Sukhvir Singh, his own family and the community for his actions. According to a release by the Sikh Coalition, it took an extraordinary effort to push police and prosecutors to charge and eventually convict Luis Vazquez of a hate crime.

For three days after the attack police did not respond to inquiries about the attack, claiming that it would take more than a week to produce a police report. Police and local prosecutors took swift action after the media reports started appearing about the attack three days after it occurred. The community came together and organized an impressive candlelight vigil and prayer in support of Sukhvir Singh as he lay in the hospital for days after the attack.