Asian woman attacked with a hammer for refusing to take off her mask in New York

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force has launched a manhunt for the person who attacked an Asian woman with a hammer in Times Square on Sunday.

The attack unfolded around 8:40pm when a 31-year-old recent FIT graduate was walking with a friend when the attacker approached them and asked them to remove a mask from their face.

The suspect then hit the victim with a hammer on the left side of the face, causing a laceration, according to local police.

The NYPD task force shared footage of the attack on Twitter, during which several bystanders can be seen nearby.