A black man was caught punching a middle-aged Asian woman in an unprovoked attack during broad day light. The incident which took place in Chinatown was captured on a CCTV camera.
Following the outbreak of global pandemic COVID-19, suspected to be a lab leak from Wuhan province in China, the hate crime incidents against Asian Americans have increased with many blaming Asians for the spread of the virus.
Attacker Instructs People to 'Stay Cool' After Punching the Woman
The viral clip of the incident shows the victim walking by a Kong Sihk Tong café at around 6:15 p.m. when suddenly a black man dressed in an orange hoodie and denim jacket smacks her face following which she fell on the ground motionless.
The man is then seen talking to someone and saying 'Stay Cool' as passer-by attend to the victim. The woman is seen slouching against a column of a roadside eatery. "Are you OK?" the man is seen asking the victim, to which she doesn't appear to be responding.
The clip of the video was also shared by Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou. "This was just sent to me from my constituent. This just happened in my district in Chinatown. He has been arrested and our precinct is investigating," she tweeted along with the video.
Attacker Sent for Psychiatric Evaluation
New York Post reported that the victim who was admitted to NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital was in stable condition. "She's doing OK," the daughter told the outlet after the victim was sent home following the treatment.
Citing law enforcement sources the outlet reported that the suspect, whose name was not released, was caught and taken to Bellevue Hospital to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Later, posting an eyewitness account of the attack Jin Zhen said that the attacker told the cops during the questioning that someone hit him. "Can't believe I actually witnessed an attack on an Asian lady right in front of me at the heart of NYC Chinatown. When I saw the lady rolled over to the ground and went unconscious I quickly hung up on my food order and start recording the situation for evidence," Zhen shared on his Instagram stories.
