Suspect arrested in hate crime attack on Seattle cab driver

A 26-year-old man was arrested early Sunday in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood after police said he called a taxi cab driver a terrorist, told him to “go back to your own country,” and beat him unconscious.

The driver picked up three men and a woman in Belltown just before 2 a.m. Sunday and drove them to the 4200 block of 27th Avenue West. The driver said the suspect apparently became angry at how long the credit card transaction took.

Police said the suspect repeatedly punched the 34-year-old driver in the face after berating him. The driver’s foot slipped off the brake, causing the cab to roll downhill, strike several cars, and slam into the stairs of an apartment building.

The driver regained consciousness when the car came to a stop, but the suspect continued hitting him. Two other male passengers joined in, according to police.

The passengers all fled the scene when neighbors came outside to investigate, but the suspect returned to the scene and admitted to police that he was involved. However, he claimed self-defense.

The man was booked into King County Jail for investigation of malicious harassment. Medics treated the cab driver at the scene.