A Queens man was killed by a single punch after standing up to a brute who hit on his girlfriend, police said Monday.
Ishmael Bacus, 49, and his gal pal were outside a Queens restaurant, The Hood, on Dec. 7 when 47-year-old Vish Sookram tried to strike up a conversation with Bacus’ girlfriend, leading to an argument just before 9:42 p.m., according to police.
That’s when Sookram allegedly swung at the 49-year-old Bacus — landing a single blow that knocked Bacus to the pavement, where he cracked his skull, cops said.
Bacus was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he died more than a week later, on Dec. 16, police said.
Sookram was arrested and slapped with a charge of attempted assault with intention to cause serious physical injury, a Class E felony — the lowest-level felony charge — and is due back in court on Jan. 28.
He may now face more serious charges in light of Bacus’ death, according to police.
The men lived just four blocks from each other in Richmond Hill and were minutes from their homes when the tragedy occurred at the Liberty Avenue restaurant.
Sookram, who was released under supervision, was stunned to learn on Monday that Bacus had died.
A woman at Sookram’s home, who identified herself as his daughter, said, he was in “total shock” and didn’t know Bacus had died until he was informed by a reporter.
“He’s really stressed out,” she said. “He’s going crazy. He’s not in the right state of mind.”
Bacus’ death came after a Brooklyn man was mortally injured in a similar single-punch attack outside a bar just days before Thanksgiving.
José Zambrano Rodriguez, 26, was allegedly punched so hard by reputed Latin Kings gang member Joshua Hernandez on Nov. 17 that he fell and cracked his skull on the sidewalk, dying four days later.
Hernandez, 25, is out on $20,000 bail for a misdemeanor assault charge in the attack on a Williamsburg sidewalk.
Rodriguez’s family called for justice and bail reform in a Post exposé earlier this month.
Acting Queens DA John Ryan called on lawmakers to pass legislation making intentional assault resulting in death a felony.
Both Sookram’s Legal Aid lawyer and the Queens District Attorney’s Office were not immediately available for comment on his case.
Additional reporting by Ebony Bowden
