A video circulating on social media shows a man in New York City lighting fireworks and throwing them on a sleeping homeless man.
“Earlier yesterday morning, a homeless male was sleeping on the sidewalk in front of 67 Lenox Avenue, in the confines of the 28 pct, when he was attacked. The male pictured above threw a lit firework on him, which exploded causing burns to the victims back,” New York Police Department’s chief of detectives, Rodney Harrison, tweeted Tuesday morning.
Earlier yesterday morning, a homeless male was sleeping on the sidewalk in front of 67 Lenox Avenue, in the confines of the 28 pct, when he was attacked. The male pictured above threw a lit firework on him, which exploded causing burns to the victims back. pic.twitter.com/gUZhbLznGT
— Chief Rodney Harrison (@NYPDDetectives) June 23, 2020
The homeless man reportedly endured burns to his back from the incident, and police are asking for information on the suspect.
The city has seen a spike in complaints about fireworks in recent weeks. New York’s 311 hotline for government services and information received the most complaints on June 19, the day of the Juneteenth holiday celebrating emancipation in the United States, with 1,689 reports regarding fireworks.
Hundreds are protesting outside Gracie Mansion in #Manhattan right now after @NYCMayor refuses to do anything about the insane fireworks the last few weeks plaguing NYC. Residents can’t sleep, so they decided to not allow Deblasio to sleep tonight either. pic.twitter.com/Kom1X7PTPM
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) June 23, 2020
NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan also slammed the incident as “shocking.”
“The inhumanity of this crime is shocking to everyone who watches,” Moran tweeted. “The NYPD WILL apprehend those responsible for using fireworks to assault our fellow New Yorker in #Harlem yesterday.”
The inhumanity of this crime is shocking to everyone who watches.
The NYPD WILL apprehend those responsible for using fireworks to assault our fellow New Yorker in #Harlem yesterday.
If you have any info, please contact @NYPDTips at #800577TIPS. pic.twitter.com/qRBjDv60Xj— Chief Terence Monahan (@NYPDChiefofDept) June 23, 2020
The city experienced an increase in violent crimes, including a spike in shootings, over Father’s Day weekend. The police department reported that 24 people were shot on Saturday across the boroughs, averaging out to one shooting per hour.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday that the police force would deploy hundreds more officers to 20 precincts in areas experiencing high rates of crime.
“We are not going to allow gun violence to continue to grow. We’re going to do whatever it takes to fight back,” he said.
Earlier this month, the mayor said he was going to cut funding to the NYPD and redirect it to “youth and social services.”
“People from the community, civilians deeply steeped in their communities with the ability to bring the concerns of the community to the highest levels of the NYPD, to bring back answers including the status on disciplinary cases and changes in policing that needs to be done to allow better policing, fairer policing,” he said in a press conference announcing the funding decision.
