Man Kicked Woman in Back, Hurled Anti-Asian Statements in New York City

Authorities are looking for a man they say kicked a young woman before hurling racial statements at her on Monday in Manhattan.

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said the assault took place in front of 122 West 26 Street just before noon. The suspect approached the 23-year-old woman from behind and kicked her, striking her in the back and the back of the leg. Police said the suspect also made anti-Asian statements during the attack.

A male bystander tried to step in and help the woman, police said. That's when the suspect took out a knife and menaced the victim and the bystander before running from the scene.

The woman suffered pain in her back and right leg, authorities said, but refused medical attention.

Surveillance photos of the suspect were shared on the police department's Twitter page. They show him in the vicinity of West 26 Street and Sixth Avenue. In the photos, the man is wearing a jersey with white flames at the bottom and the number 00 on the back, as well as a baseball cap.

The NYPD is asking the public for any information on the incident. Calls should go to the department at 800-577-TIPS, and direct messages to the "NYPD Tips" Twitter account. All calls are strictly confidential.

The NYPD's Hate Crime Task Force is investigating the incident.

Hate-fueled crimes against the Asian community have spiked since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Attacks increased 150 percent in major U.S. cities last year, according to data released by California State University's Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. In New York, the center found that the number of anti-Asian hate crimes increased by 833 percent. In 2020, police investigated 28 incidents, compared with three incidents in 2019.

Stop AAPI Hate, a hate tracker created last year by several Asian American advocacy groups, said there were more than 2,800 incidents of racism and discrimination targeting Asian Americans between March and December of last year. Verbal harassment and shunning made up more than 90 percent of the incidents, while physical assaults accounted for nearly 9 percent.

According to the latest statistics from the NYPD, hate crimes against Asians had jumped by 335 percent by the end of May, compared with the same period last year. As of May 30, there had been 87 reports of anti-Asian cases this year.

Earlier this month, a violent attack against a 55-year-old Asian-American woman in Manhattan was caught on camera. Video shows a man walking up and sucker-punching her in broad daylight, knocking her unconscious.