The drowning of a Vietnamese man who was shoved into the water at Montrose Harbor on Saturday morning was the third incident since late July in which fishermen who appeared to be Asian were targeted in the area, Chicago police said Monday.
Du Doan, 62, was fishing alone off the harbor’s sidewalk at 5:30 a.m. Saturday when the attack occurred, police said.
“Five individuals dressed in black gothic clothing walked past him, and one of the individuals breaks away from this group … and gives him a shove in the back and knocks him into the water,” said Belmont Area Lt. Anthony Riccio.
Several of the 30 or 40 people fishing in the area tried to rescue Doan with nets and poles, though none felt comfortable enough to swim out to him, police said.
Doan, who couldn’t swim, quickly drowned.
“We’re not calling it a hate crime, but by no means have we ruled it out,” Riccio said. “This could be a hate crime or a really stupid practical joke — we don’t know.”
Three men arrived at Belmont Area headquarters Monday night to discuss the attacks with detectives, police spokesman Hector Alfaro said, but he declined to call them suspects.
“No offenders have been identified or charged, and the investigation continues,” he said.
Police said the circumstances of Doan’s attack matched closely with two other incidents, one from late July and another that occurred earlier Saturday.
Shortly before the group approached Doan, another fisherman of Asian descent was confronted by the same group, described as four males and one female, police said. A former marine, the fisherman stood his ground, and the group left him alone after spitting at his feet, Riccio said.
Barely a month before, another man who had what police described as Asian features was pitched into the water by a group described similarly, Riccio said. That man swam to shore and did not report the attack until after he heard about Doan’s death.
Police are looking for a white, four-door Dodge Neon they believe the suspects were driving, and are asking anyone with information to contact police.
Monday night at Montrose Harbor, police planned to distribute fliers describing the incident and the suspects, and listing safety advice for fishermen, including that they should travel in pairs and advise others of their plans.
The suspects were described as: a white male, about 5-foot-6, brown hair in a “buzz cut,” wearing a dark jacket; a white male, about 6-foot-1, slim, large ears, wearing a white T-shirt and a jacket; white male, 18 to 19 years old; black male, bald, wearing a red shirt; white female, 18 to 19 years old.
The pier at Montrose Harbor, where scores of fishermen line the concrete edge, was bustling Monday. Mike Ngo fished with his friends Zachary Vu and Tung Le, each man maintaining several crawfish-baited poles.
“If it’s bad like that, maybe they should have more security,” said Ngo, 31. “I don’t think it will happen like that again any time soon. If police are looking for them for murder, they probably wouldn’t come back.”
Adolfo Gomez, 35, brought his teenage stepson with him as a precaution to appease his wife. He said he routinely comes out as early as 4 a.m. to fish, and doesn’t plan to stop.
But he is leery.
“If I see myself alone out here, I might leave,” he said. “But I have been fishing here for years and years, and I know everybody.”
One Web site, Chicagolandfishing.com, was brimming with talk of the drowning. Several contributors were encouraging fishermen to help police find those responsible.
Doan, who was retired, came to the United States from Vietnam, and neighbors said he enjoyed spending his time both fishing at Montrose Harbor and in the manicured garden in front of his family’s home in the 6100 block of North Kimball Avenue.
“He was a great guy — every time you asked him for something he always offered his help,” said Martin Bernal, a neighbor. “He was always talking to the neighbors.”
Doan’s family — four children and his wife — asked that their privacy be respected, and while neighbors expressed admiration for Doan, they said they would follow the family’s wishes.
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