What did Darrin Johnson do? Cincinnati man arrested for attacking Asian student over COVID blame

On Thursday, a 26-year-old Cincinnati man, identified as Darrin Johnson, was arrested on federal hate crime charges for assaulting an Asian-American college student at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. On Wednesday, a federal grand jury indicted Johnson on the hate crime charge.

Following the racial attack on August 17, 2021, Darrin Johnson was arrested and pleaded guilty to state charges of misdemeanor assault and criminal intimidation in October of the same year. According to the US attorney’s office, he was sentenced to 360 days in prison.

If convicted of the federal charges brought against him, Johnson faces the possibility of a 10-year imprisonment sentence. In a press release, the US attorney's office of the Southern District of Ohio said:

"A Cincinnati man has been charged with committing a federal hate crime by physically assaulting a victim based on the victim’s race. According to the indictment, on Aug. 17, 2021, Johnson physically attacked an Asian American victim on Calhoun Street at the University of Cincinnati...If convicted of a federal hate crime, Johnson would face up to 10 years in prison."

---

Darrin Johnson allegedly asked an Asian-American student to "go back to your country"

Hate crimes against Asians and Asian-Americans reached an all-time high during the pandemic period. This included passing random racial slurs as well as racial violence, which sometimes became life-threatening.

Just days before the start of classes in August 2021, an Asian-American student at the University of Cincinnati fell victim to racial violence when he was confronted by a man who asked him to "go back to his country."

According to court documents, 26-year-old Darrin Johnson stopped the college student on Calhoun Street while the student was preparing to go on a run and accused him of bringing the deadly disease to the US.

According to the US attorney's office, Johnson hurled racially charged obscenities at the student and said:

"Go back to your country...You brought the king flu here...You're going to die for bringing it."

A complaint filed in the federal court stated that Darrin Johnson allegedly asked the victim if he wanted to fight. When the student declined, Johnson punched him on the side of the head. Federal officials claimed that the student fell and hit his head on the bumper of a parked car, causing a minor concussion.

"The force of the punch caused the victim to fall and hit his head on the bumper of a parked car. The victim suffered multiple injuries, including a minor concussion and facial lacerations."

Surveillance footage also showed Darrin Johnson attacking the student. Witnesses claimed that they heard Johnson directing anti-Asian slurs at the victim and two people allegedly held Darrin Johnson back after the first punch was thrown.