Health worker left badly injured after being punched in head, thrown from train for confronting maskless group
A health worker from the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK was left seriously injured after he confronted three passengers for not wearing masks on a London Underground. The health worker suffered three breaks in his eye socket and a chipped jaw after he was repeatedly punched and thrown from the train.
The incident occurred earlier this month, on October 3 at around 10 pm, when the NHS employee, who has not been identified, approached a group of two men and a woman to ask them why they were not wearing masks on public transport as mandated by law. This resulted in an argument that turned violent. British Transport Police (BTP) released a statement on the issue, saying: "One of the men from the group has then punched the victim several times in the side of the head before throwing him off the train onto the platform at High Street Kensington station. The group stayed on the service as it left the station."
BTP also released a picture of the suspect, showing a White man with short blonde hair wearing a suit. It is believed that he was carrying an umbrella at the time of the incident. In a statement, BTP stated: "If you recognize him, or have any information, please contact BTP by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 2000068891. Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111."
This is not a lone incident of violence erupting over arguments linked to wearing masks. An Australian police officer, in August this year, was accused of choking a woman because she was not wearing a mask. The incident was captured in a disturbing video, which became viral on social media. The incident unfolded in Melbourne's inner suburb of Collingwood on August 10 with an officer with the Victoria Police confronting the 21-year-old woman for not wearing a face cover, according to the Sun.
The same month another shocking video emerged on social media showing a woman outside a shop in Manhattan Beach, California, throwing hot coffee in a man's face for not wearing a face mask and then playing the victim after he retaliated. The incident occurred outside a coffee shop, with a scuffle breaking out between the woman and two men because the latter were not wearing face masks, which are mandated in restaurants in the city when the customers are not eating. The maskless man recording the video is heard explaining that he and his friend were "locals" and were "on the other side of the fence" when it came to wearing masks. "We don't believe in this stuff," he declared. His companion, also without a mask, is seen at one point warning the woman's male companion to stop berating them. "What are you looking at me for? I didn't say s**t to you," he yells. "Get the f*** out of my face!" In response, a drink was splashed all over the other maskless man's face as he sat on the bench. The altercation ended in police being called to the spot. An unverified comment on social media suggested that the woman then tried to tell the officers that the man had attacked them without provocation, she was later proven wrong as a video of the incident emerged.