New York mayor condemns 'disgusting' attack on Asian woman as witnesses stood by
An Asian American woman was attacked in New York City by a man who repeatedly kicked her in front of witnesses who seemingly stood by, according to surveillance footage released by police.
Mayor Bill de Blasio called the video “absolutely disgusting and outrageous” and said it was “absolutely unacceptable” that witnesses did not intervene.
The 65-year-old woman was walking in midtown Manhattan on Monday afternoon when a man came up to her and kicked her in the stomach, knocking her to the ground, the NYPD said.
The man then stomped on the woman’s face several times while hurling anti-Asian sentiments at her, police said. He later casually walked away, the footage shows.
The woman was hospitalized with serious injuries.
According to video footage, a man inside a building lobby seemingly stopped what he was doing to watch the assault. Later, two more men wearing blazers walked into the frame and one closed the door as the woman was on the ground.
The property developer and manager of the building, Bordsky Organization, wrote on Instagram it was aware of the assault and the staff who witnessed it were suspended pending an investigation.
The head of the union representing building workers disputed allegations door staff failed to act. He said the union had information that they called for help immediately.
“Our union is working to get further details for a more complete account and urges the public to avoid a rush to judgment while the facts are determined,” SEIU 32BJ president Kyle Bragg said in a statement.
He condemned the attack as “yet another example of the unbridled hate
and terror” against Asian Americans.
At his daily briefing on Tuesday, De Blasio said: “I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what you do, you’ve got to help your fellow New Yorker.
“If you see someone being attacked, do whatever you can,” he said. “Make noise. Call out what’s happening. Go and try and help. Immediately call for help. Call 911. This is something where we all have to be part of the solution. We can’t just stand back and watch a heinous act happening.”
The NYPD hate crime taskforce was investigating the attack and asked anyone with information to contact the department.
Governor Andrew Cuomo called the attack “horrifying and repugnant” and ordered the state police hate crimes task force to offer assistance to the NYPD.
No arrests had been made.
The NYPD says there have been 33 hate crimes with an Asian victim so far this year, news outlets reported.
The police commissioner, Dermot Shea, previously said outreach and patrols in predominantly Asian communities would increase, amid a national spike of anti-Asian hate crimes.
According to a report from Stop AAPI Hate, more than 3,795 incidents were reported to the organization from 19 March last year to 28 February this year. The organization said that number is “only a fraction of the number of hate incidents that actually occur”.
Shea called Monday’s attack “disgusting”.
“I don’t know who attacks a 65-yearold woman and leaves her on the street like that,” he told TV station NY1.