Madison Police are close to identifying suspects in an attack on two Asian UW-Madison students last weekend, but the perpetrators will probably not face hate crime charges, a police official said Wednesday.
'It doesn't look like it's going to a hate crime anymore,' said Officer Larry Kamholz, because under state law hate crime charges can be brought if the attack was based on the victim's race, while the apparently intoxicated perpetrators of the attack on the Asian men used a slur against blacks.
'The comments made to the individual were not comments made to his race,' Kamholz said.
Daniel Cheung, 21, and Wai Kit Cheung, 22, suffered an unprovoked attack while walking down the 400 block of West Gilman Street early Saturday morning. Wai Kit Cheung, who is not related to Daniel, suffered a cut above his right eye, which required stitches, and an abrasion on his right shoulder, while Daniel Cheung suffered swelling and a bruise near his right eye.
Detectives on the case expect to identify suspects 'probably in the next week or so,' Kamholz said.
This weekend's assault was the fourth incident of violence to occur on or near the 400 block of West Gilman Street near State Street over the past few weeks, and police are trying to improve their communication with neighborhood residents to try to keep the area safe.
'Our officers are becoming more aware,' Kamholz said. 'We're communicating more than we probably have in the past just to get people to take precautions themselves.'
The police believe they have already enough patrols in the area and are too short-staffed to beef up their presence, he added.
'We're not adding any resources,' Kamholz said, adding that the area is safe. 'It's happening a lot downtown right now, but it happens all over the city. I don't think it's anything anybody should be afraid of.'
Ald. Todd Jarrell, District 8, represents that section of West Gilman Street, and though he met with police officials about the neighborhood said he does not think residents or passersby should be worried overly worried about their safety.
'In the opinion of the people I've talked to, it's probably a coincidence' that there have been so many incidents recently, he said.
Kamholz said some simple precautions can keep people safe at night.
'At nighttime you shouldn't be walking by yourself,' he said, adding that 'if you see a whole bunch of people ... cross the street or go the other way.'
