A video circulating on social media shows three individuals holding down and viciously abusing an Asian man at a lower Manhattan subway station. Police in New York City are investigating.
The video, which was shot at Fulton Street station, shows one man restraining the Asian man next to a metal pillar while another two beat him in the head alternately.
One of the men slaps the man in the face so hard that his head collides with the pillar, causing the man’s body to become limp.
A second man then punches him at least six times in the head – all whilst the Asian man is restrained – before the group of men cheer the beating.
The NYPD’s Asian Hate Crimes Task Force shared the video online, calling on witnesses to identify the Asian man whilst the NYPD Transit said it was gathering more information about the incident.
Some users on Twitter claimed the group of men were carrying out vigilante justice against the Asian man after he had allegedly tried to rape a girl on the train.
In a full-length video of the incident posted on social media, a person can be heard shouting at the man: ‘You touching girls, you touching girls – little sisters and all that, moms and everything. You filthy, son.’
One of the men who slapped the Asian man could be heard saying he has a daughter.
‘I got a daughter,’ he could be heard saying before slapping the man. ‘If the cops lock me up, I’m paying my own bail.’
One Twitter user, who said they had filmed the footage, replied to NYPD Transit writing: ‘I am commenting on this thread because I was there and witnessed it.’
They claimed: ‘The Asian man attempted to rape a young girl on the train and was stopped by the man holding him.’
The user added: ‘I’m really afraid these guys are gonna get in trouble. They were good citizens stopping this man. I watch stories all day from NYC of people getting attacked and no one doing anything because they’re afraid this will happen.’