Columbia store owner charged with hate intimidation, using racial slur in fight
The owner of a Columbia liquor store has been arrested and charged with assault and hate intimidation for striking a woman while using a racial slur.
Youseff El Ammouri, 49, was arrested Wednesday at the United Convenience Store and Shop and Save Liquor on Harden Street.
Columbia police say El Ammouri struck an African-American woman on the hand during a confrontation outside the store. He also allegedly called her the n-word.
His alleged use of the slur led to the charges under Columbia’s hate intimidation ordinance. The ordinance punishes attempts to intimidate based on race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression, or national origin.
Shaterica Neal told WIS-TV she was sharing some leftover pizza with a group of homeless people outside the store on Tuesday evening when El Ammouri came out “yelling and swearing at her” and calling her a “donkey n-word.”
When Neal tried to film her altercation with El Ammouri on her phone, he allegedly tried to kick and punch her, striking her on her left hand, Neal said.
The incident lead Neal and a group of others to protest outside the store on Wednesday, calling for the surrounding community to boycott the business. El Ammouri was arrested the same day.
The attached convenience and liquor stores and a gas station are located near the former Allen Benedict Court housing complex, across Harden Street from a closed Save-A-Lot grocery store and across Calhoun Street from the Columbia Housing Authority.
This story was originally published June 26, 2020 at 2:12 PM.
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