Hunt for suspect who beat man unconscious with a rock on NYC subway platform
The victim told media outlets the attack was unprovoked
New York City police are hunting for a suspect who attacked a 64-year-old man with a rock at a subway station.
The assailant, a man in his 30's, reportedly attacked another man at a Q line platform just before 1pm on Saturday. The victim of the attack was walking on the platform when the suspect "engaged him in an unknown verbal dispute," witnesses said.
"The individual then entered the track area, retrieved a rock, and pulled himself back onto the platform," the police department told NBC News. "The individual proceeded to use the rock to strike the victim’s head multiple times, causing the victim to lose consciousness."
Police tweeted out a video of the encounter, showing two people, including a younger man who was not wearing a shirt, acting aggressive toward one another. The shirtless person appears back in frame and begins striking the other man.
After the attack, the suspect fled and the victim was taken to a hospital. The victim is in stable condition but did suffer trauma to the head.
No motive has been revealed in the attack, and police said they could not confirm if the attack was provoked or not. Law enforcement is still trying to find the suspect.
The victim, Intazar Dar, spoke with ABC 7 and claimed the attack was unprovoked. He said he was on his way home and spotted the suspect mumbling loudly and pacing in the subway car. Mr Dar claims the man followed him when he exited and began attacking him.
"This is the first time it's happened in my life in New York City, but now I'm scared. It's been two years since I've been doing my job — I don't have any problem with this place...now I see a lot of homeless people - they make me scared," he said.
The New York City subway system has been the site of several violent attacks in the last year. One woman was beaten with a hammer and kicked down a flight of stairs earlier this year. Six people were stabbed over a single weekend, and another woman Michelle Go, was killed.
In April, a man opened fire on a subway train, wounding 10 people and causing the injury of 13 others. Shocking images of a subway car filled with smoke and riders fleeing for their lives dominated the US media for several days.
Mayor Eric Adams has responded to the violence by unveiling a new safety plan for the subways that focuses on the city's homeless population.