Story at a glance
- Police arrested 49-year-old Jarrod Powell on two felony assault charges early Tuesday morning stemming from the April 23 attack on Yao Pan Ma.
- Surveillance video tweeted out by police appears to show the attacker stomp on the victim’s head before running off.
- Ma is reportedly still hospitalized in a coma as of Tuesday.
Police have made an arrest in connection with an attack on a 61-year-old Asian man who was kicked repeatedly in the head in East Harlem last week, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Police arrested 49-year-old Jarrod Powell on two felony assault charges early Tuesday morning stemming from Friday’s attack on Yao Pan Ma, who is reportedly still hospitalized in a coma as of Tuesday.
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Ma was collecting cans near Third Avenue and East 125th Street when he was attacked from behind, knocked to the ground and kicked in the head multiple times.
Surveillance video tweeted out by police appears to show the attacker stomp on Ma’s head before running off.
While the motive of the attack is still unclear, the New York Police Department’s Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the case to determine whether the victim was targeted due to his race.
Detectives @NYPDHateCrimes and @NYPD25Pct are investigating: Fri. April 23rd, approx. 8:20 PM, 3rd Ave & E. 125 St., a male Asian, 61, was struck from behind causing him to fall to the ground; he was then kicked multiple times in the head and is in Critical Condition.
☎️@NYPDTips pic.twitter.com/fJ56lqK326— NYPD Hate Crimes (@NYPDHateCrimes) April 24, 2021
The incident comes amid a wave of attacks against Asian Americans in recent months. According to a recent report from the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased nearly 150 percent in major U.S. cities last year as hate crimes overall in the U.S. fell.
Last week, the Senate passed legislation aimed to address the rise in hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans.
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