A suspect is at large after a 63-year-old man was assaulted in New York’s Central Park, according to the NYPD. Police are calling the incident an antisemitic attack based on developing details.
The man was walking in the park when another man in his mid-40s allegedly ambushed him from behind. Police say the attack caused the older man to fall, chipping his tooth and breaking his hand.
According to police, the suspect yelled antisemitic insults at the victim, as well as “Kanye 2024.”
After the attack, the alleged assailant left the scene on a bicycle with an attached trailer that had a sign reading “Hungry Disabled.”
Authorities are asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the attacker.
The NYPD described the suspect as a man with a light complexion. He was last seen wearing a brown jacket, a multi-colored hat, beige pants, and white sneakers with a bicycle carrying an assortment of items.
According to local authorities, the victim is in stable condition.
“Crimes like these have a ripple effect across communities and cause unique trauma on top of physical harm,” Scott Richman, the regional director of the Anti-Defamation League of New York/New Jersey, told CNN.
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Richman said the attack is an example of how Kanye West’s antisemitic commentary has perpetuated violence and incited dangerous acts. “When public figures with huge platforms fan the flames of antisemitism, people will copy it and begin to think it’s normal,” he said.
The attack is another instance where West finds his name attached to brutal acts against members of the Jewish community.
The NYPD has seen an increase in overall hate crimes, led by a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents in November. The department reported 45 incidents last month, up from 20 incidents reported on November 2021, according to NYPD statistics.
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