A Somali American rideshare driver is in a coma and fighting for his life in a Minnesota hospital following a brutal assault on Saturday. The incident occurred in Hopkins, a suburb southwest of Minneapolis. Family members told the digital news site Somali Brief that the violent encounter appears to be a targeted hate crime.
According to relatives, the driver, Mohamed Yusuf, picked up a passenger early Saturday morning. The passenger asked the driver his name and reportedly responded by stating he disliked the name Mohamed. The assailant then choked Yusuf from behind, seized control of the vehicle, and used the car to run the driver over multiple times.
Police in Hopkins stated that officers responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle at 1.20am on Saturday. Authorities located an adult male suspect nearby and took him into custody. Investigators confirmed that the incident stemmed from an Uber rideshare interaction and that the inquiry is active.
Yusuf’s son, Mustafa Osman, said his father was discovered about a mile down the road inside a ditch. The victim sustained severe injuries, including broken ribs, fractured legs, two collapsed lungs, and a spinal injury. Family members at the hospital described the assault as a pure hate crime fueled by hostility toward his Somali identity.
The violent attack follows a period of intense political rhetoric regarding Somali Americans in Minnesota. Relatives and community advocates pointed to inflammatory claims made during political campaigns. Minnesota House majority whip Tom Emmer recently claimed on a conservative podcast that the Somali civil war had come to the state.
Elected officials, community leaders, and labour organisations responded sharply to the violence. Minnesota state senator Omar Fateh issued a statement demanding answers and a transparent investigation. SEIU Local 26, a union representing rideshare drivers, expressed shock and anger over the incident in a social media post.
A press conference was scheduled for Monday at the Hennepin County Medical Center by the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations alongside community leaders and driver groups to demand justice. A GoFundMe campaign established to support the family has already raised more than 140,000 dollars.
Representatives for Uber condemned the violence in a statement. The company confirmed that the rider has been permanently banned from the platform and stated that it stands ready to assist law enforcement with the ongoing investigation.
