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NYC man whacks Asian woman, 55, in the face in shocking video, Internet asks 'how did nobody step up'

An Asian woman was knocked down by a man in an unprovoked attack near a Chinatown restaurant in NYC and the assailant was nabbed by the police

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: An unidentified man attacked an Asian woman and knocked her to the ground in Chinatown on Monday, May 31. Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou, whose district covers Chinatown, posted a surveillance video that captured the frightening incident on Twitter. She wrote that the video was sent to her from her constituent.

She said, "This was just sent to me from my constituent. This just happened in my district in Chinatown. He has been arrested and our precinct is investigating." The assault took place during the daytime on Bayard Street near Mott Street. The victim, who is a 55-year-old woman, could be seen walking by the Kong Sihk Tong café when she was smacked in the face in an unprovoked attack.  

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The incident took place at 6.15pm when a man in an orange hoody and denim jacket was seen walking up to whack the woman's face without being provoked. As the attack took place, two people in the nearby dining space watched in silence. The 55-year-old woman fell backward on the pavement after which the man who attacked her began to rant. All of this was captured in the footage that was shared by Niou. 

A man then rushed over to check on the woman who had fallen down and was leaning against the columns of the outdoor dining set up. He could be heard asking, "Are you OK?” However, according to the footage, there is no movement from the woman. According to the police quoted in New York Post, the victim was taken to New York-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital in stable condition. Niou also stated that the victim was "conscious and cognizant and alert”.

The woman reportedly looked shaken and she was later escorted home with her daughter. The daughter was quoted as saying “She’s doing OK.” In the meantime, the suspect was arrested on the scene and was reportedly taken for psychiatric evaluation to Bellevue Hospital. The assemblywoman also tweeted, "Things are being investigated and the hate crimes task force has been called in."

Jin Zhen, a witness of the incident wrote on Instagram, "Can’t believe I actually witnessed an attack on an Asian lady right in front of me at the heart of NYC Chinatown." The witness further added, "When I saw the lady rolled over to the ground and went unconscious I quickly hung up on my food order and start recording the situation for evidence." Many reacted to the video posted by Niou and said that this incident reiterates the need for stricter patrols, among other things. One user tweeted, "It's happening every day. I've been attacked. My family has been attacked. My friends have been attacked. Nothing is being done to protect us." Another user wrote, "The sheer randomness of this violence is extremely disturbing."

Many also commented on how the onlookers reacted to the incident. One user tweeted, "How did nobody step to the dude who hit her though?" Another user commented, "This clip shows a really important thing, though. Bystander effect is real but the moment the first person steps up, notice how 4 others join him. That's vital. Overcome the shock of the moment and force yourself to act, others will follow." This came in response to a user saying, "They always picking on old people and women, sorry to say but am dissapointed by the two boys who didnt move. protect your vulnerable please."

Once the first person stepped up to help, four others joined in to help bring the cops over and also in apprehending the suspect.