SEATTLE — A man who allegedly yelled "China virus" and headbutted a person in November has been charged with a hate crime, and made his first appearance in court Monday.
Anthony J. Ransford faces one count of assault and one hate crime charge after he allegedly berated a Seattle man and headbutted him, before shoving another to the ground and fleeing the scene.
According to court documents, officers responded just before 4 p.m. on Nov. 8 to a report of two men having been assaulted near the campus of City University of Seattle.
One of the victims reported seeing the suspect yelling at three Chinese students on the street, with the suspect eventually headbutting one of the students. A witness said he heard the man swear at the students and use the phrase and "China virus" before headbutting the victim.
The other victim engaged with the suspect and struggled with him over a stick, before the suspect shoved the man to the ground and fled the scene. After the victims spoke to police and along with witnesses, provided a description of the suspect, Ransford was taken into custody later that day.
The man who was headbutted suffered a broken nose from the incident, and the other victim had to be treated for a dislocated shoulder and fractured humerus, which required surgery to repair.
Ransford was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in California in 2017, and has numerous other convictions in Iowa, including multiple assaults.
Ransford pled not guilty, and the State requested $10,000 bail due to its belief there is "reasonable cause to believe the defendant will commit a violent offense."