NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Police are investigating an attack on an Asian man as a possible hate crime after the victim was punched and yelled at on a Lower East Side street on Saturday morning.
The 66-year-old victim was parking his car on Allen Street, near E. Houston Street, around 9 a.m. when he was punched in the face by a man who yelled obscenities at him, police said.
The victim told cops that the man who punched him said “Chinese” several times during the attack, according to the New York Post.
The victim suffered swelling and bruising to the left side of his face and refused medical attention at the scene, police said.
The suspect, who’s believed to be homeless, fled down Allen Street to Stanton Street. The NYPD released surveillance images of him on Saturday.
The NYPD Asian Hate Crimes Task Force is reportedly investigating the attack, and police said it’s being probed as an assault as a hate crime.
The attack comes amid a surge in anti-Asian violence in the city and nationwide.
A shooting at Atlanta-area spas this week brought more attention to the crisis, as six of the eight people killed were women of Asian descent.
A vigil was held in Union Square on Friday night to mourn the victims and denounce anti-Asian hate.
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