Who is Barry Morris? Homeless NY man punches Asian, 81, gives him fractured hip
MIDTOWN, NEW YORK CITY: A man in New York City was arrested for punching an elderly Asian man, in another shocking instance of hate crime. The perpetrator has been identified as 55-year-old Barry Morris who is believed to be homeless. The incident took place around 10:30 am on Thursday, August 26, when the 81-year-old Asian man was walking near 420 Lexington Avenue in Midtown, New York City. Morris allegedly assaulted him without any provocation, as the senior was left badly injured with a fractured hip and bruises.
Hate crime against Asians has seen an alarming rise across USA, especially in New York City. According to a New York Post survey, anti-Asian violence in NYC has spiked by 1300 percent since the start of the pandemic in early 2020. In March 2021, 38-year-old convicted killer Brandon Elliot assaulted 65-year-old Filipina woman Vilma Kari in broad daylight. He screamed anti-Asian slurs at her as he knocked her to the ground and kicked her repeatedly. On May 26, 2021, an unidentified young man sucker-punched an elderly Chinese-American lady in Queens, when she was returning home from the supermarket.
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Who is Barry Morris?
The incident with Barry Morris was confirmed by the police on Friday, August 27. Morris reportedly knocked the senior Asian man to the ground after punching him. "We have to get rid of all the ninjas!" he shouted during the attack.
The unnamed elderly man was left with a fractured hip and bruises on his head from the assault. He was later escorted to the NYU Medical Center for treatment.
A video released by Citizen showed the victim lying on the ground in pain with police officials tending to him. Meanwhile, Morris was nabbed on the scene by cops who restrained him. He was charged with assault while the NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force is probing the case as a possible hate crime.
A few months ago, Recently, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio declared the creation of P.A.T.H. (Partners Against The Hate), which allotted an increased $3M funding for protecting Asian and Jewish communities in the city. "We need to redouble our efforts to fight hate, and we've gotta work with outstanding community leaders and organizations to reach deep into the grassroots," de Blasio stated.