FLUSHING, New York City—A woman was arrested on Main Street in Flushing on Friday, June 6 after allegedly attacking three people—two Falun Gong practitioners and one Epoch Times employee.
According to witnesses, the woman was first seen shouting insults before turning her anger into physical attacks. She was then arrested by police outside of the Service Center to Quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Flushing and was detained in Precinct 109.
The alleged attacker, Flushing resident Li Li, is in her 50s and was arrested at the scene by officers of Precinct 109. According to NYPD, Li Li is currently being charged with criminal mischief and has been scheduled for a court arraignment on Friday, June 6.
Three witnesses, including Epoch Times employee Kathy Zhao; Falun Gong practitioner Qian Yang; and Chen Danish, a volunteer from the Quit the CCP Service Center, went to the precinct with Ms. Mao Huizhi to press charges against the assailant, who allegedly scratched and injured Ms. Chen's shoulder, damaged Ms. Kathy Zhao's glasses, and broke Ms. Qian's camera and MP3 player.
According to Ms. Mao, at about 2:30 p.m., while at the Quit-CCP Service Center, she heard a commotion outside. Ms. Mao said that when she immediately checked on the situation, she saw the woman shouting at a person who was standing on the sidewalk distributing materials.
"I took out my mobile phone to photograph the commotion," said Ms. Mao. "Seeing me take the picture, she then tried to grab my mobile phone. Then, a man in his 50s standing nearby came in and also tried to help her grab my phone. Then the man grabbed and twisted my hand, attempting to take it from me."
Ms. Mao said that she fled back into the Quit the CCP Service Center, and the police arrived soon after. The unidentified man fled from the scene, but the woman was arrested, handcuffed, and taken away by the police.
Li Li, the alleged attacker, reportedly shouted derogatory terms such as "trained dog" and "traitor" at Kathy Zhao, an Epoch Times employee who was distributing newspapers on the sidewalk.
"I asked her to stop insulting me," said Ms. Zhao. "But she said, 'I will curse you any way I like.'" Ms. Zhao recalled that she has seen the woman before. "I saw her shouting insults in Flushing last Saturday. She wanders about here all the time," said Ms. Zhao.
"I was standing about 20 meters from the entrance of Golden Shopping Center distributing The Epoch Times newspapers when I suddenly heard shouting," said Ms. Qian. She said that she saw a woman attacking someone who was distributing Epoch Times newspapers. "I went over to take photographs of the woman." The woman allegedly ran toward her, and with the help of an unknown man, grabbed her camera, which then fell to the ground and broke, along with her MP3 player. The police then pulled the people away from Ms. Qian.
Ms. Chen Daizhu, from Seattle's Quit the CCP Service Center, who was also allegedly attacked by Li Li, told The Epoch Times, "This afternoon [June 6] while I was distributing The Epoch Times newspapers between Main Street and 41st Street, I offered a copy to a woman who approached me, but she spit on the newspaper and threw it into a trash can nearby," said Ms. Chen.
Ms. Chen saw the same woman do the same thing at another intersection. She then saw her approach the Quit the CCP Service Center and started making a commotion. "I happened to have a camera with me. When she saw me taking her photograph, she ran at me, and grabbed my clothes, and scratched and injured my shoulder," said Ms. Chen.
The police came and dispersed the onlookers. The alleged female assailant was arrested, but the unidentified man escaped.
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