Steve Buscemi: NYPD Arrest Suspect in Random Assault on Actor

Police in New York City have arrested a suspect after actor Steve Buscemi was punched in an apparently random attack. 

Buscemi, who is known for his starring role in the television series Boardwalk Empire, was attacked on 8 May while walking in Manhattan.

Police did not name who they arrested on Friday, but had earlier identified Clifton Williams, 50, as a suspect.

The attack comes as the NYPD said they have seen an “uptick” in assaults in the city.

A publicist for Buscemi, 66, said earlier this week that the actor needed hospital treatment to his face after a “random act of violence” in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, in which he suffered bruises and a bloody eye.

Police said the suspect was Mr Williams, who is believed to be homeless.

Police charged a 50-year-old unhoused man with second-degree assault on Friday afternoon in the same precinct where Buscemi was attacked. Authorities announced on Tuesday that they had identified the man as the suspect and were looking for him.

It was not immediately clear whether the man had an attorney who could respond to the allegations.

In a statement after the incident, Buscemi’s publicist said the actor was “another victim” of a random act of violence in the city.

“He is OK and appreciates everyone’s well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of New York,” the publicist said.

There have been reports of random attacks in the city and hundreds of National Guard troops were deployed in March to the subway to address high-profile incidents of violence. In March, Buscemi’s Boardwalk Empire co-star Michael Stuhlbarg was hit in the back of the neck with a rock while walking in Manhattan’s Central Park. Stuhlbarg chased his attacker, who was taken into custody outside the park.

The NYPD said this week that felony assaults in the city were up 15% year-to-date, and misdemeanour assaults had increased by 7%.

However, official figures suggest overall crime in New York City has fallen year on year.

Buscemi is a New Yorker who once worked as a firefighter. His portrayal of a corrupt Atlantic City politician leading a double life during Prohibition in the hit HBO series Boardwalk Empire won him a Golden Globe award.

By Agencies