(NEW YORK) — Jarrod Powell, 49, was arrested in New York City for allegedly attacking and critically injuring a 61-year-old Asian man on April 23, the NYPD said Tuesday.
Police said they identified Powell from surveillance video that allegedly captured him repeatedly stomping on Yao Pan Ma’s head.
The incident unfolded Friday night at 8:20 p.m. on the corner of Third Avenue and E.125th Street in Manhattan.
Paramedics responded to the scene and Ma was transported to NYC Health & Hospitals/Harlem, where he remains in a coma.
Powell faces attempted murder and hate crime charges, police said. It’s unknown whether Powell has an attorney, ABC New York affiliate, WABC, reported.
Powell told reporters that he didn’t assault anyone and that the victim attacked him, when he was asked about the attack, WABC reported.
“This is not who we are as New Yorkers, and we will not let these cowardly acts of hate against members of our New York family intimidate us,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press release following the incident on April 25. “We stand united with the Asian American community which has always been an important part of our diverse identity as a state.”
The assault comes during a string of violent anti-Asian attacks in New York City. The NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is currently investigating the incident, according to the same press release.
On April 22, the Senate voted in favor of an amended bill aimed at combating the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, ABC News reported.
Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
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