A viral video showing a woman, later identified as Natasha Chand, repeatedly using racial slurs against another woman in a Pinole parking lot has ignited widespread outrage and prompted a hate incident investigation by local authorities.
The confrontation, which occurred Sunday outside the Pear Street Bistro in downtown Pinole, was captured on a cellphone by a relative of the victim and quickly spread across social media, amassing millions of views. In the footage, a woman sitting in a blue Toyota Camry is seen and heard repeatedly directing the N-word and other insults at a Black woman, mocking her appearance and telling her to “get out of my face” as bystanders expressed shock.
Pinole police responded to the scene and interviewed both women involved. “Due to the nature of the verbal exchange between the involved parties, the incident has been classified as a hate incident and is currently under investigation by the department’s criminal investigation bureau,” the Pinole Police Department said in a statement. The case has also been referred to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office for review, according to Pinole Mayor Cameron Sasai.
The victim, who has chosen to remain anonymous, spoke to KTVU about the ordeal. “It’s quite unfortunate the verbiage she was using. It’s unacceptable,” she said. “I don’t understand why she was using it towards anybody in public at all. She’s obviously not supposed to be using that type of vulgar language”.
Community leaders and residents have condemned the incident. “Watching the footage, I am disturbed and outraged. The use of racial slurs and any form of racist anti-Black rhetoric is unacceptable anywhere, especially in Pinole,” Mayor Sasai said. Felicia Carr, a resident of nearby Fairfield, helped identify the woman in the video after sharing it on social media. “Got her, her name is NATASHA CHAND,” she wrote.
“It’s incredibly disheartening. We are living through very challenging times,” Carr said. “With the current racial tensions at an all-time high, witnessing such blatant racism and disrespect is truly saddening”.
Who is Natasha Chand?
Chand, also known on Instagram as anahksunahmunah, was identified as a Senior relationship banker at Bank of the West, a now-defunct bank that was acquired by BMO Bank U.S. in 2023. On her Instagram, Chand described herself as ‘The Devil aka SINHA’. She is originally from Lautoka, Fiji.
Chand was initially misidentified as a Hindu woman named Priya Sharma. “Meet Priya Sharma Hindu who spreads casteism in the country and racism in America,” said one viral post before Chand’s real identity was uncovered.
Other posts wrongly identified her as Preet Gupta, a registered nurse at Kaiser in Pinole.
Authorities have not publicly identified the woman accused of using the slurs. KTVU reports she has a pending criminal case related to repeated thefts from a Concord beauty store, and a local restaurant manager said she is no longer welcome at the establishment.
Police said the circumstances leading up to the confrontation remain unclear, but emphasized that the context does not excuse the language used. “Regardless of the context, those words, those racial slurs, that racist, anti-Black rhetoric, is not acceptable,” Mayor Sasai said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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