Can You Believe It?
New York City, NY (WorkersCompensation.com) – Police said workers were targeted in three separate attacks across New York City over the past two weeks.
On Tuesday, March 7, police said four people assaulted a Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) worker at a Bronx train station. According to reports, the incident started when the four suspects, two male and two female, approached the 55-year-old MTA worker and began to argue with him.
Police said the two male suspects began to punch the MTA worker in the face. The two male suspects fled the scene on foot, while the two female suspects boarded a northbound 6 train.
Officials said emergency services personnel were called to the scene and were able to treat the worker for minor injuries.
According to the Transport Workers Union Local 100, there have been 19 assaults reported against MTA workers through March 6 of this year, one more than the number of assaults reported during the same time period last year.
In January, an MTA worker was assaulted in an unprovoked attack. Officials said the worker was working as a platform controller in Jackson Heights when he was approached by a stranger who asked, “Do you know me?” When the worker did not answer, the unknown man hit the worker in the face with a closed fist. The worker said he experienced pain and dizziness.
The worker was taken to Elmhurst Hospital for treatment.
On March 7, new surveillance video equipment was able to capture the attack inside of a Bronx grocery store that left two employees injured.
Police said the attack unfolded just before 8:30 p.m. when a group of girls walked into Key Foods on White Plains Road and began arguing with store employees. One of the victims, who told local media she wished to remain anonymous, that the dispute started with an argument between two customers.
“The argument more or less was about him not saying excuse me and refusing to apologize for that mistake, and things got heated between them, and he said that he would call somebody for her,” she said.
The victim said things escalated after that when the female customer left the store and returned with a group of four more girls who verbally assaulted the employees for not stepping in to de-escalate the earlier argument. One of the girls eventually slapped a security guard. When the female victim stepped in to tell the woman she couldn’t do that, the attacker charged at the worker and slapped her as well.
“And then that’s when everybody else starts to attack me. It was just fight or flight. You have to do one or the other, but unfortunately for me, I did not have the option for flight.”
Police said both of the employees suffered minor injuries. The female victim also reported hair loss. Store owner Miguel Garcia said the group of attackers has caused trouble in the area before.
“The same people that did this did it right across the street two weeks ago,” Garcia said. “So, it’s insane that they’re out on the street.”
Employees in the area said they were scared to go to work and asked the NYPD to step up patrols inside the stores. Carlos Collado of Bodega and Small Business Group is now calling for justice.
“We’re calling so that there are more consequences,” Collado said. “We know NYPD does their job. They do it well, but will the justice system follow through. That’s our concern.”
The NYPD said they were investigating the crime.
And in Manhattan, police said a 22-year-old CVS employee was attacked inside the store by a knife-wielding assailant.
Police said unidentified individuals entered the store around 8 p.m. on Feb. 20. The suspects brandished knives, then punched the victim in the face before fleeing the location. Police said the female worker was injured but refused medical attention.
Police said nothing was stolen from the store, and that anyone with any information should contact the police.
