Authorities have arrested and charged the main suspect for punching actor Steve Buscemi in the face two weeks ago on the streets of Manhattan.
Clifton Williams, a 50-year-old homeless man, is being held on $50,000 cash bail and will appear in court Thursday for assaulting two people just minutes apart on May 8 in broad daylight.
Williams was arrested on May 17 and faces charges of third-degree assault with a misdemeanor for attacking an unidentified 22-year-old man and second-degree assault for punching Buscemi, 66, in the face, according to the department. of New York City Police. . Williams identified himself as the attacker in both incidents, according to a complaint filed with the Manhattan district attorney's office.
Buscemi, a character actor known for films such as Quentin Tarantino's “Reservoir Dogs” and television series such as “Boardwalk Empire,” was standing looking at his phone when a closed fist suddenly struck him, causing him to fall to the ground, according to authorities. . He later sought treatment at Bellevue Hospital for his bloody and bruised left eye.
Williams faces a felony charge of assaulting an adult over 65 years of age, which carries a minimum two-year sentence in New York state. According to the NYPD, Williams has no arrest or incarceration record and it is unclear what his mental state was at the time. Buscemi's publicist denounced it as a “random act of violence.”
NYPD statistics show that overall crime was down in April 2024 compared to the same period last year, but misdemeanor assaults are up, the New York Times reported. And several viral videos of women claiming to have been assaulted by strangers while walking in New York City have sparked conversations about public safety.
In late March, Buscemi's “Boardwalk Empire” co-star Michael Stuhlbarg was hit near Central Park with a rock in the back of the head, although Stuhlbarg performed in the play “Patriots” the next day without incident. Xavier Israel, 27, was arrested and has since been charged with second-degree assault and a felony related to the assault.
“Saturday Night Live” addressed the random attacks on Stuhlbarg and Buscemi in a parody over the weekend featuring a mock NYPD press conference. “To everyone watching, I have an important message,” said host Jake Gyllenhaal, who played a mustachioed, uniformed police sergeant. “Stop bashing character actors.”
Buscemi's publicist told the Times last week that the actor was “doing well” after the attack.
There is no word on whether Buscemi's injuries have affected his work. His publicist did not immediately respond Monday to a request for further comment.
