EXCLUSIVE: Black woman calls Asian American woman racial slurs at Seattle gas station

An Asian American woman in Seattle says she's the latest victim of Asian hate after being bombarded with a series of nasty racial slurs during an encounter outside a gas station over the weekend.

She posted a TikTok in response to critics claiming that she must have done something to incite the anti-Asian racist rant from the woman at the local, family-owned gas station.

When the woman who screamed the threats, Ladonna Richie, was contacted at her home by The Post Millennial and asked if she wanted to apologize, she said "I don't, not at all, I don't."

In her defense, she claimed that it was the Asian woman, who goes only by Stephanie after receiving online threats as a result of the incident, who was the aggressor. Richie claimed Stephanie called her the n-word.

She was unable to provide evidence when asked, instead calling the police, chasing this reporter down the street, and throwing a rock.

"For the record, I’ve never called her or anyone the n-word. She’s saying that so she doesn't have to take accountability and she never will," Stephanie told The Post Millennial.

Stephanie said that on Saturday, she entered the Shell gas station on East Madison St. in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, when she noticed a woman, Ladonna Richie, trying to cut the line and being rude to the Asian man behind the register.

"She aggressively threw the money on the counter and disrespected the elderly Asian man behind the register," Stephanie said on her TikTok. "Whenever I see people being rude to elderly Asian people in public, it triggers something in me. I can't deal with it. I can't stand it. I need to speak up."

Stephanie says words were exchanged, after which their conversation spilled outside near the gas pumps where Stephanie hit record on her cell phone. 

"I did call her out for being rude," Stephanie told The Post Millennial. 

In a now-viral video posted to social media, Richie can be heard yelling curse words directed at Stephanie, including highly offensive Asian slurs and stereotypes including: "Go eat your dog with some rice b*tch, "Go back to your country," and "Go do some nails or some feet b*tch." 

Stephanie says Richie was with her young children at the time and she was stunned Richie was speaking that way in front of them.

"I was never once racist towards her," Stephanie said. "The worst thing I called her was a disgusting racist."

Richie can be seen driving away in the video.

Surveillance video from inside the Shell gas station showed the argument. Even though the exchange between Stephanie and Richie was inaudible, Tommy Lee says Stephanie did not use the n-word or any racial slurs. Surveillance video from outside the store was not available.

"I think she said what felt necessary at the time and I appreciate her standing up for my employee," said Lee.

Meanwhile, Lee says his elderly Korean American associate is fine but is still a little rattled by the situation. 

"Honestly, my employees and I know how to deal with individuals like that rude lady pretty well. And sometimes the best thing to do is ignore their ignorance. Because a person like that doesn't know much better obviously. It's such a waste of time getting mad with people like that. I've been through it trust me," said Lee. 

Advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate says from March 19, 2020, to March 31, 2022, a total of 11,500 hate incidents against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were reported, and that number is likely an undercount. 

Despite these record numbers, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell recently proposed defunding the city's $400,000 anti-Asian hate crime funding by at least 50 percent, citing the city's budget shortfall.

Harrell is the first Asian American (half Japanese and black) to hold this position. His office did not respond to a request for comment about this latest Asian hate incident in his city.

"If she apologized I don't think it would be sincere, I don't need an apology from her," said Stephanie.

Stephanie is Taiwanese American and says she does not plan to file any police report, but is now dealing with on-line hate from people doubting her version of events. However, she says she has no regrets about speaking up and hopes this becomes a teachable moment. 

"It could have been anyone. It could have been a black man at the counter and an Asian person treating them that way. I would have said something, cause that's not okay. You just don't treat people that way to have that entitlement," said Stephanie.