On October 6th, FACE in coalition with Korean and African American leaders led and facilitated a press conference demanding justice for Mr. Tommy Du Young Lee, a 56 year old Korean American business owner who was stabbed to death Saturday afternoon in broad daylight outside his store by two teens trying to steal a wig from his business. These leaders urged LAPD Chief Michel Moore for more police resources in the downtown area which has seen a recent spike in violent crime.
"What happened to this small business owner was horrific and inexcusable. This business owner was stabbed to death and murdered in broad daylight by two teens over a wig. The entire city should be outraged by another violent murder of an innocent person. There must be an increased police presence in downtown Los Angeles, especially with the holiday shopping season approaching,” stated Hyepin Im President and CEO at FACE, Faith and Community Empowerment, and Najee Ali Director of Project Islamic Hope in a joint statement.
Special thanks to Najee Ali who reached out to bring attention to this tragedy.
The press conference was featured on mainstream and ethnic media outlets including NBC News, KFI, CBS7 News, Los Angeles Times, Ethnic Media Services, Los Angeles Wave, Eyewitness Viewers, KTLA 5, ABC7, SBS, and KBS.
Speakers were as follows:
- Hyepin Im, President and CEO at FACE, Faith and Community Empowerment
- Najee Ali Director of Project Islamic Hope
- Lawanda Hawkins Justice for Murdered Children and a coalition of downtown business owners.
- Euny Cho, Flawless Business Owner in Fashion District
- Grace Yoo, Attorney & Community Advocate
Below is an excerpt from an article released by Fox News.
See news articles links below to read the full article.
Hyepin Im, President and CEO of Faith and Community Empowerment, said Lee "felt compelled to have to respond and chase after these individuals."
She noted that Lee's daughter had expressed frustration in the past when her father put himself in danger by confronting shoplifters for petty theft.
"And yet, the surrounding business owners have said, `You know what? Your dad is a hero.' Why? Because he believed and knew that if he did not stand up to crime, violence, that it would continue to expand in this area."
The activists, in addition to asking for more police protection, said the teens should be charged as adults. District Attorney George Gascón, however, generally opposes transferring juvenile offenders to adult court.
