TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A white American man is suing a Taiwanese man for calling him the N-word during a confrontation over a traffic incident last month.
At 11 p.m. on Dec. 3, a 36-year-old American English teacher, who has lived in Taiwan for 10 years surnamed Biggs, was riding his scooter with his 32-year-old wife surnamed Lin (林) sitting behind him, his 3-year-old son in front, and his 5-month baby on his chest in a carrier. While waiting at a red light, a Mercedes driven by a man in his 30s surnamed Liu (劉) pulled up behind them.
When the light turned green, Biggs said that he did not immediately set off as he needed to readjust his eldest child's seating position. As can be seen in surveillance camera footage, Liu drove his vehicle around the scooter.
Biggs said the Mercedes nearly hit his scooter as Liu attempted to park. According to Biggs, when he honked his horn, Liu stopped his car, turned on the right turn signal, and gave him the middle finger.
He said that he then got off his scooter, he approached the driver's window and said: "What are you doing, you almost hit me and my family, you could’ve killed my babies!” Liu allegedly responded by saying, “This is Taiwan, my country. Why don’t you go back to your country?”
According to Biggs, the two continued to argue for a while longer, before he said that he tried to calm himself and not further frighten his children. As he returned from the post office to go to Carrefour to buy Christmas decorations for his son, Biggs spotted Liu standing outside McDonald’s waving at him and smiling before allegedly calling him the N-word.
The American decided to turn his scooter around and asked Lin to help take a video of the incident. In the video, Biggs can be seen saying, "What word did you just say, tough guy?" Liu responded by saying, “The police won’t help you, you don’t even have an ID” and at that point, he can be seen taking out his phone and taking a video of Biggs.
Liu criticized Biggs for failing to go when the light turned green. Biggs explained that he was helping his child and claimed that Liu had almost hit them.
Biggs said that he told Lin to call the police, and he told Liu that they were calling the police. According to Biggs, Liu then took his food and left the scene.
He said the couple filed a report with the police that evening and presented the video of the confrontation as evidence. Shulin Precinct police reviewed surveillance footage of the incident, identified the owner of the car to be Liu, and notified him of the case report filed by the couple.
The couple is now pressing charges against Liu for public insulting (公然侮辱罪) and the New Taipei District Prosecutor's office has begun an investigation. The first court session is slated for Tuesday (Jan. 17).
Liu declined a request by Taiwan News to be interviewed about the incident.
Video shows confrontation after Taiwanese driver allegedly called American driver the N-word. https://t.co/4GLmU0RE7p pic.twitter.com/PIffw6aj7n
— Taiwan News (@TaiwanNews886) January 17, 2023
