A stranger randomly slugged an Asian woman in a shocking caught-on-video attack in Chelsea that is being investigated as a possible hate crime, cops said.
The 68-year-old victim was crossing the street at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and West 19th Street around 8:50 a.m. April 24 when the male attacker suddenly comes up behind her, footage released early Monday shows.
The woman then runs back in the other direction, holding her arm out in an attempt to keep the assailant away, before the brute chases her and punches her in the torso — knocking her to the ground in the middle of the street, the clip shows.
The man suspected of randomly slugging an Asian woman. NYPD
The woman ran back in the other direction, holding her arm out in an attempt to keep the assailant away. NYPD
The suspect, who didn’t say a word during the attack, ran off. NYPD
The brute chased her and punched her in the torso — knocking her to the ground in the middle of the street. NYPDThe suspect, who didn’t say a word during the attack, ran off, police said.
The victim was taken to Lenox Health Greenwich Village Hospital with bruised ribs and back pain, cops said.
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the crime.
Police were still looking for the assailant Monday morning.
