BART police probe slur-filled attack caught on video

(Editor's note: The video contains graphic language.)

BART police are investigating an incident on Monday night of a man delivering racial slurs to a passenger before repeatedly hitting him on a Warm Springs-bound train.

Officials said that BART police received three calls around 10:10 p.m. Monday from riders reporting a man who appeared to be unarmed threatening another passenger. Police boarded the train at the Union City station, but officials said they believed the attacker got off the train before they arrived.

Video of part of the encounter was uploaded to Facebook by Wiseley Wu, who recorded the footage while sitting nearby on the train.

BART trains into San Francisco delayed due to police activity. BART trains into San Francisco delayed due to police activity. Photo: Bill Hutchinson / Photo: Bill Hutchinson / Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close BART police probe slur-filled attack caught on video 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

A man who identified himself as Charles Wu and said he was the passenger being harassed, said the assailant got on the train near the Coliseum Station and was talking loudly about the Warriors’ Stephen Curry. The assailant then started to loudly use a racial slur, Charles Wu said, which prompted him to tell the man to stop.

“No one was saying anything and it was a BART full of people,” he said. “I had enough, so I told him, ‘Sir, you need to stop talking.’”

Charles Wu said that the man then approached him, which is where the recording begins.

The attacker approaches Charles Wu and threatens to punch him. As he approaches, riders sitting near him leave the area.

He then begins to use a racial epithet on Charles Wu before reaching across the seat to hit him on the arm. He utters other racial slurs before slapping Wu again.

Charles Wu then gets up and begins to confront the attacker, but another rider is shown intervening while others in the background can be heard saying “He’s not even worth it.”

The assailant then tries to slap Wu again before walking away as the video ends.

BART officials said no one on board the train was able to point out the attacker at Union City Station, where they believe he got off the train. No suspect has been arrested.

“We see a lot of crazy things on BART and I thought it’d be over in no time,” Wiseley Wu said. “But it kept getting worse and worse and I never expected to see something like this in front of me, I didn’t know what to respond.”

Wiseley Wu called police as he filmed the encounter. The situation relaxed as soon as the attacker got off the train, Wiseley Wu said, as passengers walked over to the victim to talk to him and patted him on the back in support.

Charles Wu said that the train was quiet as the attacker continued to yell after the video ends. No one said anything to intervene until the assailant began to get off at Union City, Charles Wu said.

“Everyone got loud once he got off, saying he’s a disgrace and stuff like that.” Charles Wu said. “During it, I was just angry and frustrated that this guy is saying all this terrible stuff and no one said anything to stop him.”

BART police is investigating the incident and continuing to interview witnesses. Anyone with information can call (510) 464-7040.

Annie Ma is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ama@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @anniema15