Man arrested in random attack on actor Buscemi

NEW YORK – Nine days after actor Steve Buscemi was punched in the face on a Manhattan street, a man has been charged in the case, New York police said.

Clifton Williams, a 50-year-old homeless man, was arrested Friday and charged with second-degree assault, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison. A police spokesman said the charge was raised to a felony because of Buscemi’s age.

Buscemi, 66, was walking on Third Avenue near East 27th Street in the Kips Bay neighborhood just before noon on May 8 when he was attacked by a stranger. He was treated at Bellevue Hospital for bleeding, bruising and swelling in his left eye.

Police officers identified Williams as a suspect on Tuesday after releasing surveillance photos showing him wearing a blue T-shirt, black sweatpants and a baseball cap.

On Friday, police responded to an argument between Williams and another man in the Chelsea neighborhood, about a dozen blocks from where Buscemi was attacked. There they recognized Williams and arrested him.

Williams was also accused of hitting a 22-year-old man about 15 minutes before attacking Buscemi, a police spokesman said. He was charged with third-degree assault, a misdemeanor, in that case.

Buscemi, a Brooklyn native and former city firefighter, is known for his roles on “Boardwalk Empire,” “Fargo” and “The Sopranos.”

A series of random street robberies has sparked fears that the city is slipping into lawlessness, although recent statistics paint a more nuanced picture.

According to police data, crimes in the city fell about 2% in April compared to April 2023 – part of a broader decline in violent crime, including a 30% drop in murders and 15% fewer shootings. But the number of negligent assaults rose 7% in the first three and a half months of 2024 compared to the same period last year.

Michael Stuhlbarg, an actor who appeared with Buscemi in “Boardwalk Empire,” was hit by a rock while walking in Central Park on March 31.

Several female TikTok usersincluding one with more than 1 million followers, have posted video reports showing how they were beaten while walking through the city.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.