New York in shock after violent assault on sexagenarian Asian

The images are of rare violence. New York police tweeted video of a man beating an Asian woman on Monday in the heart of Manhattan on Tuesday and issued a Wanted Notice, latest incident of a series of anti-Asian violence that inflames the United States.

In the images, taken by surveillance cameras shortly before noon from inside a building near Times Square, we see a woman, 65 years old according to the police, walking when all of a sudden , the man approaches her, makes her fall to the ground then kicks her several times in the head before walking away.

????WANTED for ASSAULT: Do you know this guy? On 3/29/21 at approx 11:40 AM, in front of 360 W 43 St in Manhattan, the suspect punched and kicked a 65-year-old woman while making anti-Asian statements. Any info? DM @NYPDTips or anonymously call them at 800-577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/WRE4kSHtRG

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 30, 2021

The video also shows a security guard attending the scene from inside the building, quickly joined by another man. As the assailant walks away, one of the men closes the door to the building, apparently doing nothing to help the woman on the ground. The victim, whose identity has not been clarified, was hospitalized with a broken pelvis and multiple injuries, police said. His condition was stable on Tuesday.

« Fuck you, you don’t belong here »

The assailant has uttered anti-Asian slurs against his victim, police said, and the unit specializing in racist crimes is in charge of the investigation. According to the New York Post, the man shouted “Fuck you, you don’t belong here”. That same unit is still looking for another man who punched a woman in a Manhattan subway station on Saturday night. The woman was not seriously injured and declined medical assistance. The man, there too, uttered anti-Asian insults, said a spokesperson for the NYPD.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday called the previous day’s attack “horrible” and “disgusting”, while the state governor deemed it “absolutely appalling”. “Violence against the Asian community is unfortunately becoming an epidemic in our state and our country, it must stop,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo in a statement. “We must face it together and speak out with one voice against hatred and violence in all its forms, wherever we see it.” The mayor called on anyone who witnessed such violence to “literally shout” to “disturb” the aggressor and “attract attention”.

New York, like other American metropolises, has seen an upsurge in crimes targeting people of Asian descent in recent months, fueled by ex-President Donald Trump who frequently referred to Covid-19 as a “Chinese virus” or ” Chinese plague ”. On March 15, a man shot dead eight people, including six women of Asian origin, in the Atlanta area.

New York police have since stepped up their presence in neighborhoods with high Asian populations. Volunteer patrols have also been formed in certain neighborhoods to reassure the population.

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