CHARLOTTE, NC – A man was charged after a surveillance video shows him destroying a Korean convenience store on Tuesday afternoon in downtown Charlotte.
The incident happened at about 3:30 pm at Plaza Sundries on Trade Street, inside the Charlotte Transportation Center.
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The owners of the company are Korean and have been in the market for about 20 years. Their son Mark Sung told Channel 9 that there is no doubt in his family’s mind that they were targeted because they are Asians.
The video from the store’s surveillance camera shows Xavier Woody Silas, 24, entering the store and immediately pulling up a goods shelf. He then takes a metal bar and scales it around the store, hitting shelves and drinking machines.
(Watch the surveillance video of the attack below)
Security officers at the transit center called the police who arrested Silas. The owners and customers were inside at the time of the turmoil, but were not injured.
According to Sung, this is not the first time that his family’s story has been vandalized.
“On average, we have one of these incidents a year,” he said. “This year came a little earlier, I think.”
Sung told veteran Channel 9 police reporter Mark Becker that he believes that a man his family banned from the store hired Silas to destroy the store in an act of revenge.
He said that during the attack Silas was shouting racial slurs.
“While he was doing this, he was saying racial slurs, cursing us, threatening us. And the guy we banned ended up entering the store cheering for him and shouting: ‘This is what you get! That’s what you get! Go back to your country! ‘”Said Sung.
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After taking a day to clean up the mess, Sung said his parents reopened the store. He told Channel 9 that he has lost hope that the hatred will go away.
“This whole racism thing is not going to just go away,” he said. “It has been around for centuries.”
Silas was arrested, but has now been released. He is facing several charges, including damage to personal property, threats of communication and disorderly conduct. Authorities said the police are also prosecuting a possible charge of Ethnic Intimidation by Misdemeanor under North Carolina’s hate crime statute, at least partially based on alleged statements made to the store clerk.
A GoFundMe started helping Sung’s family to repair the damage to his store and raised more than $ 17,000. You can donate here.
The Charlotte Area Transit System sent the following statement to Channel 9:
“On March 30, 2021, there was a violent incident at Plaza Sundries, at the Charlotte Transportation Center (CTC), causing major damage to the business. The suspect involved in the incident, Mr. Xavier Rashee Woody-Silas, was immediately arrested by the G4S Company Police and received the following charges:
- Damage to personal property – For alleged extensive property damage to the company
- Theft with dangerous weapon – For allegedly using a street sign as a weapon to cause serious damage to property when taking goods from the store without payment
- Communication threats – For allegedly making verbal threats to police in response to the incident
- Misdemeanor theft – For allegedly taking a product from the store (energy drink) during the act of causing serious damage to property
- Disordered conduct – For allegedly shouting and cursing, as well as for physically and verbally abusing police officers
- Resist, Delay and Obstruct – For allegedly physically resisting the police who tried to detain the subject
In addition, CATS understands that the police are prosecuting a possible charge of Ethnic Bullying for Misdemeanor (according to North Carolina’s hate crime statute), at least partially based on alleged statements made to the store clerk.
The suspect was also banned from all CATS facilities and services.
CATS found that the G4S increased the presence of officers in the CTC. CATS strongly condemns any act of racism or violence and will continue to prioritize the safety of everyone ”.