Without saying a word, a hate-filled attacker beat up and knocked out a man at a Chinatown station in the latest bias crime targeting Asian New Yorkers, police reported.
Cops said the attack happened at 8:50 p.m. on March 2 at the entrance to the East Broadway station on the F line, at the corner of East Broadway and Rutgers Street.
According to police, the 56-year-old Asian man was walking into the station when the brute approached him and went on the attack. Sources familiar with the investigation said the suspect did not say a word to the victim before making his move.
Law enforcement sources said the brute punched the victim multiple times about the body, eventually causing the man to pass out. The attacker then fled in an unknown direction.
Officers from the 7th Precinct responded to the incident. The victim suffered head swelling, a black eye and a lacerated lip, and was treated at a local hospital for his injuries.
Following a preliminary investigation, the case was declared a hate crime and assigned to the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force. Anti-Asian bias incidents have been on the rise over the past year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the city has seen a number of violent episodes of hate in recent days which have prompted community outrage and calls for justice.
Early on Thursday morning, the NYPD released video footage of the assailant as he climbs over the turnstile of the East Broadway station.
Cops described him as a Black man; he’s shown on the video wearing a navy blue baseball cap, a red bandana over his face, a gray-and-blue sweater and sweatpants while carrying a light blue jacket.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
