Manhattan DA speaks on arrest of suspect in attack on Asian woman
On Wednesday, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. spoke about the arrest of a suspect in a brutal attack on an Asian woman near Times Square.
Video Transcript
CYRUS VANCE: The defendant, Mr. Elliott, is accused of brutally shoving, kicking, and stomping a 65-year-old mother to the ground after telling her that she didn't belong here. So let me join the commissioner in being clear. This brave woman belongs here. Asian-American New Yorkers belong here. Everyone belongs here.
Attacks against Asian-American New Yorkers are attacks against all New Yorkers. And our office will continue to stand against hate in all its forms.
Mr. Elliot will be arraigned shortly in Manhattan Criminal Court on two counts of assault in the second degree as a hate crime and one count of attempted assault in the first degree as a hate crime. If convicted, he will face up to 25 years in prison as well as other consequences related to his lifetime parole. Additional details will be available in the criminal court complaint which my office will share once it is filed with the court.
There is no place for these atrocious acts of anti-Asian violence in New York, particularly as the AAPI community is still grieving and still in pain following the heinous attack by the gunman in Georgia earlier just this month. To our Asian-American community, I want you to know that we are here to help you and to listen to you.
We have more than a dozen open cases and ongoing investigations against the AAPI community this year alone. And I want to tell all those who believe they may have seen or been a victim of hate crime that you, please, should feel free to call our office, our hate crimes hotline at 212-335-3100. Finally, on behalf of our office, I want to thank the victim in this case for her bravery.
