The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) released a statement this week following an alleged attack on a TV reporter in Grand Junction, Colorado. 

Of Pacific Islander descent, Ja’Ronn Alex, was reportedly out in the field when he was stopped at a traffic light. Patrick Thomas Egan, 39, pulled up next to him and proceeded to say something along the lines of: “Are you even a U.S. citizen? This is Trump’s America now! I’m a Marine and I took an oath to protect this country from people like you!” according to an arrest affidavit. 

Investigators say Egan followed Alex for around 40 miles back to his news station in the city and, after exiting his vehicle, was pursued by the suspect who demanded identification. Egan tackled Alex and “began to strangle him” until Alex’s co-workers intervened, the affidavit continues.

Witnesses reported seeing Alex’s “face turning red as he was being strangled” and that he was “losing the ability to breathe” during the attack, lasting 45-90 seconds. 

“This act of violence against a journalist of color, motivated by racial bias, underscores the ongoing threats faced by journalists and individuals from marginalized communities,” AAJA said in a Dec. 30th news release. 

“It highlights how racist and anti-immigrant rhetoric, which increased during the pandemic, has led to physical attacks on members of AAPI communities,” AAJA continues. 

Following the 2020 pandemic outbreak, reports of discrimination and violence towards Asian Americans spiked, according to a Pew Research study. The Stop AAPI Hate Movement launched nationwide soon after.

“About one-third of Asian adults (32%) say they personally know an Asian person in the U.S. who has been threatened or attacked because of their race or ethnicity since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020,” the study reports. 

It was not until 2022 that the number of anti-Asian hate crimes decreased to 499 incidents, from 158 in 2019, 279 in 2020, and 746 in 2021, in crime statistics report by the FBI. 

“AAJA is committed to promoting diversity and advocating for the safety of journalists of all backgrounds. We stand in solidarity with Ja’Ronn Alex and all those who have faced discrimination and violence. AAJA encourages newsrooms to support their AAPI journalists and journalists of color who experience discrimination and harassment,” said AAJA.

Egan was arrested on Dec. 18 in Grand Junction, Colorado, on suspicion of bias-motivated crimes, second-degree assault, and harassment. As of Tuesday afternoon, he remained at Mesa County Jail on a $20,000 bond, reports NBC.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.

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