A 59-year-old Indian-American man died after being punched in the face at a motel parking lot in the US state of Oklahoma last week. The incident occurred late Saturday night on June 22, near Interstate 40 and Meridian Avenue, police said.
The victim, Hemant Shantilal Mistry, a motel manager originally from Gujarat, confronted 41-year-old Richard Lewis, requesting him to leave the property. This request escalated quickly, as Lewis reportedly punched Mr Mistry in the face.
A video of the assault has gone viral on social media. In the video, Mr Mistry. in a white t-shirt, can be seen engaged in a heated argument with Lewis, who is wearing a sky blue t-shrt. The argument quickly escalated before Lewsis landed a punch on Mr Mistry’s face. The 59-year-old collapsed to the ground while Lewis walked away.
The police responded to the scene around 10:00 pm and found Mr Mistry lying unconscious. He was promptly transported to a nearby hospital, but despite medical efforts, he died of his injuries at 7:40 pm the following day.
The suspect, Richard Lewis, was apprehended shortly thereafter at a hotel located in the 1900 block of S. Meridian Avenue. He was taken into custody and is currently held at the Oklahoma County Jail on a $100,000 bond, facing charges of aggravated assault and battery.
Police have yet to determine the specific reasons behind Lewis’s refusal to vacate the premises but a thorough investigation has been launched to find the
