DC assault suspect threw a soda can in shop owner's face: cops
WASHINGTON - D.C. police are investigating a simple assault in Northeast.
The victim owns the 7 River Mart, a corner store at 11th and C Street, Northeast.
Sam Ko was trying to stop two people from taking cans of soda without paying last Tuesday when one of the two threw the soda at Ko’s face, leaving him with a black eye.
Steven Streff lives in the neighborhood and was walking home Sunday night when he saw about two dozen people gathered in front of the store.
Streff tweeted a picture of the gathering, in which over two dozen people expressed sorrow for what happened and how much they appreciated Ko’s role in this corner of Northeast.
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"It was nice that everybody kind of got together and said Sam, we appreciate what you do, and that you’re here for us," Streff said.
James Kwon moved in across the street a few years ago and asked Ko for recommendations for nearby Korean groceries.
"I told him I had some trouble finding Korean groceries around this neighborhood, and he actually went out of his way to pick up groceries for me to say hey what do you want? I can get them for you, and he basically got them for me," Kwon said, "It just made the world seem a little smaller.
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Ko declined to be interviewed for FOX 5’s story, instead saying off camera that he didn’t think he was deserving of the attention, something neighbors feel differently about.
"He’s always been there for the community, and I think that’s why a lot of people showed up the other day to support him," Kwon said.