Undercover New York City police officer arrests woman for allegedly screaming anti-Asian slurs

A woman has been arrested outside of a New York City nail salon after allegedly yelling anti-Asian comments at the staff.

The suspect, identified as Sharon Williams, was arrested Tuesday by an undercover New York Police Department officer after allegedly shouting the slurs and threats of violence at the salon's staff , then harassing a person on the street, according to CBS affiliate WLNY.

According to police, Williams, likely referring to the coronavirus that started in China, said: "You brought the corona to this country."

The undercover officer was part of an initiative launched by the NYPD to put plainclothes police on the street in areas of reported high levels of anti-Asian hate incidents  to stop them, police told The Washington Post.

The arrest comes during a surge of anti-Asian hate incidents across the country. 

Williams faces hate-crime harassment charges and aggravated harassment as a hate crime.