According to the NYPD, a “person of interest” is in custody in connection with a surprise attack that injured actor Steve Buschemi on Manhattan's Third Avenue last week.
The former “Boardwalk Empire” and “Soprano” star, 66, suffered a black eye and bled in the May 8 ambush, police said. On Friday, the New York Police Department identified the suspect as Clifton Williams, a 50-year-old homeless man. He is charged with second-degree assault.
“At this time, we have a person of interest in custody,” an NYPD spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Law enforcement sources said Williams changed his appearance and fled Manhattan while Buscemi was treated at a hospital.
THE SUSPECT OF THE ATTACK ON THE ACTOR STEVE BUSCEMI IS IDENTIFIED
The New York police identified Clifton Williams, 50, as the suspect who punched actor Steve Buscemi in a random attack in Manhattan last week. (Fox 5 New York)
“Steve Buscemi was assaulted in midtown Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,” a spokesperson for the actor previously told Fox News Digital. “He is doing well and appreciates everyone's well wishes, although it is incredibly sad for everyone that this happened to them while they were walking the streets of New York.”
The attack took place around noon on May 8. A man dressed in blue approached and punched him in the face, leaving the actor with swelling and bleeding in his left eye.
Photos showed him returning to work on a film set in the city, with a black eye hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. The motive for the attack has not been revealed.
ACTOR STEVE BUSCEMI BLOODED AND KILLED IN ASSAULT IN NEW YORK AS POLICE HUNT THE ATTACK
Witnesses told ABC's New York affiliate that Buscemi, a former firefighter who visited Ground Zero after 9/11 to volunteer with his former battalion, chased his attacker after the surprise attack.
Steve Buscemi attends the world premiere of Peacock's “Bupkis” at the Apollo Theater on April 27, 2023 in New York City. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
Police released surveillance footage showing Williams wearing a blue shirt and sweatpants, carrying a backpack near the crime scene.
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In March, another “Boardwalk” star, Michael Stulhbarg, was also randomly attacked in Manhattan. Someone threw a rock at him from behind.
He detained his own attacker until the NYPD arrived in that case.
