Police Arrest Woman Who Assaulted, Coughed On Uber Driver After Asking That She Wear A Mask

A woman who was caught on camera coughing and assaulting a California Uber driver on March 7 has been arrested, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

Malaysia King, 24, was apprehended by the Las Vegas Police Department in connection with the incident Thursday, the San Francisco Police Department announced in a press release. King faces charges of assault with a caustic chemical, assault and battery, conspiracy, and violation of health and safety code, according to the police report.

The Uber driver, Subhakar Khadka, recorded the incident which showed King mask-less, coughing and shouting profanities at the man. The footage also showed King ripping off Khadka’s face mask and stealing his phone from his dashboard.

Police say that pepper spray was also believed to be sprayed in the open window of the Uber driver’s vehicle, according to the police report.

Another woman in the recorded incident, Arna Kimiai, has not been arrested, but her lawyers stated that she would turn herself in soon, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

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Lt. Tracy McCray, head of the San Francisco Police Department’s Robbery Detail noted in the statement that, “we hope it happens promptly,” in regards to Kimiai turning herself in. He also denounced in the police report the behavior seen in the recorded video.

“The behavior captured on video in this incident showed a callous disregard for the safety and wellbeing of an essential service worker in the midst of a deadly pandemic. We take this conduct very seriously in San Francisco, and we’re committed to ensuring that justice is done in this case,” Lt. Tracy McCray said in the statement.

Khadka stated that he believes one of the reasons why he was harassed was because he is a South Asian immigrant, KPIX 5 reported.

“If I was another complexion, I would have not gotten that treatment from them. The moment I opened my mouth to speak, they realized I’m among one of them, so it’s easy for them to intimidate me,” he states to KPIX 5.

A spokesperson from Uber told to Newsweek that the company was “shocked and saddened by the recent increase in anti-Asian hate, particularly when it affects a driver or a rider. In this case, we have banned all three riders and have been in contact with Mr. Khadka to offer our support.”

Throughout the course of the pandemic, many have gotten in trouble with police for not wearing masks. A woman refused to wear a mask in an Ohio grocery store, a Philadelphia man was pulled off a bus for not wearing a mask, and a Florida mom refused to wear a mask at a school board meeting.