MIDTOWN MANHATTAN — The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating an alleged anti-gay attack on a Midtown Manhattan subway platform, police said Tuesday.
Officials said it started around 3:30 a.m. Monday when an unknown man was shouting anti-gay statements at passengers aboard a northbound No. 2 train traveling through Manhattan.
The man then made a specific anti-gay remark to a 29-year-old man sitting on the train, police said.
A verbal dispute ensued, which escalated into a physical altercation when the subway stopped at the 34th Street-Penn Station subway station, at which point the fight spilled out onto the platform, authorities said.
The unidentified man then used an unknown object to stab the victim, the NYPD said.
The alleged attacker then fled the station, heading in an unknown direction.
According to police, the man did not realized he had been stabbed in the torso and side of his chest until he got back on the train.
He went to an area hospital by private means, for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The NYPD released the above surveillance images of the man they’re looking for, in hopes the public can help locate or identify him.
He is described as standing about 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighing around 185 pounds with a medium build and partial facial hair. He was last seen wearing a red Chicago Bulls basketball hat, a gold chain around his neck, a black shirt, green cargo shorts, and multi-colored sneakers, police said.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
