‘You’re gonna blow up this country': Man charged with hate crime for attacking Sikh man ‘who looked different’

Balmeet Singh had just been phoning his 13-year-old cousin to say happy birthday when he allegedly started to receive death threats from the defendant

Mr Singh, standing at the scene of the alleged crime, questioned why nobody stepped forward (Facebook / The Sikh Coalition)

A man who has been charged with a hate crime for attacking a Sikh man outside a restaurant said he had a “constitutional right” to take direct action in defense of the United States.

David Hook allegedly threw liquid on Balmeet Singh on 30 September because he appeared to be of a different religion or race, according to a press release by the Kern County district attorney in California.

Mr Hook told Bakersfield Now that he had heard Mr Singh speaking on his mobile phone outside a restaurant in English and in a foreign language, and allegedly heard him "say something about a bomb". Mr Singh wears a turban and a beard and is a member of the Sikh faith.

When asked why he did not call 911, Mr Hook said he had a "constitutional right" to take action.

"If you see something, say something," he replied.

Mr Hook is facing two counts of misdemeanour charges and one count of interference with the exercise of a civil right and one count of battery, which fall under the hate crime category.

Mr Singh, a 30-year-old real estate agent and health clinic administrator from Ohio, said Mr Hook confronted him while he was wishing his 13-year-old cousin a happy birthday.

Mr Hook allegedly yelled at him: "You’re gonna blow up this country", and threatened to kill him.

Mr Hook then allegedly threw a cup of soda on Mr Singh, said some racial slurs and left.

"Not a single person came up to me, and not a single person said anything to me," said Mr Singh. He added there were at least a dozen witnesses.

In a video recorded by the Sikh Coalition, Mr Singh said he wanted to remind people to be "safe and vigilant".

"That situation could easily have escalated, and I’m fortunate it did not," he said.

His message, contrary to Mr Hook, was: "If you see something happening, do something, don’t just sit there, as it could be your grandfather, your grandparents, your father, your child."

If Mr Hook is convicted of the charges, he could face up to one year in jail and a fine.