New York Police Department [NYPD] released a 12-second video of an elderly Asian man being repeatedly kicked and brutally stomped on his head. The cops stated that the incident is being probed as a hate crime. The man is said to be in a critical state.
The 61-year-old victim was collecting cans and pushing a shopping cart of recyclables in East Harlem, New York, around 8.20 PM on April 23 when the incident occurred. The victim was attacked from behind without any provocation below the19-storey under construction apartment building at 3rd Avenue and East 125th Street.
Hate Crime?
The video shows the man being kicked six times and when he falls on the sidewalk motionless, the attacker walks away casually. A steady stream of cars can be seen passing the road when the incident occurred.
Reports claimed that the man was spotted motionless by a bus driver, who called the police. Soon, the emergency medical services [EMS] staff rushed to the spot and transported the victim to Harlem Hospital. The victim is said to have suffered severe injury to his head. Reports claim that the man is listed under critical state but now is said to be in a stable condition.
The NYPD Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the case. Cops stated that the Asian man might have been targeted due to his race. Identity of the suspect has not been revealed. But cops said that he was wearing a black jacket, black pants, white sneakers and a multi-colored baseball cap.
The NYPD has requested the public to help them find the suspect. Anyone with information with regard to this incident has been asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Any tip by public about the suspect can be submitted at the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, on Twitter @NYPDTips. NYPD has assured that the identity of those providing tips will be confidential.
In March, six women of Asian origin were shot dead in Atlanta area and there have been a spike in anti-Asian violence across the United States. It can be noted that the Senate had passed legislation aiming at combating the rise in violence against Asian Americans with overwhelming support, this week. The Senate voted 92-6 to advance the bill on April 22. It was decided to assign a Justice Department official to expedite reviews of potential Covid-19-related hate crimes and also to establish an online database.
