Homeless NYC man is perp-walked after being charged with randomly attacking actor Steve Buscemi on Manhattan street
Police have arrested a homeless man suspected of beating Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi in an unhinged attack in Manhattan last week.
Clifton Williams, 50, was busted while trying to report stolen property to police, with an officer recognizing him as the man who allegedly punched Buscemi, 66, on a Kips Bay street on May 8.
Williams was escorted by police to the 13th Precinct in New York on Friday and charged with second-degree assault.
He was also accused of attacking a 22-year-old Asian man just minutes before attacking Buscemi, leading to an assault charge.
The NYPD tracked him down using surveillance footage and found him at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn, his last known address, where he is known to his neighbors as a “***hole.”
Police have arrested the unhinged homeless man, Clifton Williams, 50, who punched actor Steve Buscemi in a random attack in Manhattan on May 8.
Police released a surveillance image of the attack showing the suspect, Williams, wearing a dark baseball hat, a blue T-shirt, black pants and white sneakers.
Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi, 66, was left bruised and bloodied after he was punched in the face in one of the latest random attacks on a Kips Bay street in New York City last week
Williams remained silent as he was escorted from the 13th Precinct to his arraignment.
Police received a call from the superintendent of the homeless services building in Chelsea. They reported harassment by Williams over allegedly stolen property.
When an officer arrived, Williams was asked to report his lost property. However, during this process, the officer recognized Williams’ name and linked it to the suspect in the Buscemi attack.
Williams reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime when confronted by an NYPD wanted poster.
He was arrested while trying to report stolen property to police because someone recognized him as the man who allegedly hit Buscemi.
Williams, who was photographed being walked by police at the 13th Precinct in New York City on Friday, was hit with a second-degree assault charge
According to people living at the shelter, Williams reportedly had a bad reputation at the homeless shelter where he was apprehended.
A man named Aziz described Williams’ general attitude as unpleasant to The New York Post.
“He called me a cracker and all kinds of things,” Aziz told The Post.
Another homeless man expressed disappointment in William’s target, Buscemi, saying there are plenty of other people he would rather punch in the face.
‘[Williams] is an asshole. Why would you want to hit someone like Steve Buscemi?” he told the outlet.
Buscemi was left bruised and bloodied after he was punched in the face in one of the last random attacks on the streets of New York City last week.
The 66-year-old Brooklyn resident was strolling along Third Avenue near East 27th Street in Kips Bay, in eastern Manhattan, at 11:48 a.m. Wednesday, police said.
Williams, known as a “hole” among neighbors, was also accused of attacking a 22-year-old Asian man just minutes before attacking Buscemi, leading to an assault charge.
The NYPD tracked him down using surveillance footage and found him at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn, his last known address, where he is known to his neighbors as a “***hole.”
Williams is seen walking up to the actor and suddenly attacking him outside 369 Third Avenue before fleeing the scene.
Buscemi was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was treated for bruising, swelling and bleeding in his left eye.
“Steve Buscemi was attacked in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,” his publicist said.
“He is doing well and appreciates everyone’s well wishes, although it is incredibly sad for everyone that this happened while he was also walking the streets of New York.”
A worker who was nearby when the attack occurred told the New York Post, “I saw he was with a woman, and then I saw him stumble through the corner of the window and fall backwards.
“He immediately got up and ran in the opposite direction,” they added. “I didn’t see who hit him.”
Police released a surveillance image of the alleged attacker, wearing a dark baseball cap, blue T-shirt, black pants and white sneakers.
Buscemi grew up in New York and was a firefighter in Brooklyn before dropping out in the 1980s to pursue an acting career.
He returned to his old firehouse for several hours after the September 11 attacks and stayed on the grounds of the World Trade Center for days, sifting through the rubble.
Buscemi starred in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire as protagonist Enoch ‘Nucky’ Thompson
The actor has had a career spanning four decades and is best known for his roles in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire and films like ‘Fargo’ (pictured with co-star Peter Stormare)
The award-winning actor has had a career spanning four decades and is best known for his roles in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire and films such as ‘Fargo’ and ‘Reservoir Dogs’.
While working on the film Domestic Disturbance in Wilmington, NC, in 2001, Buscemi fell victim to another brutal attack.
The actor intervened in a bar fight after two local men allegedly argued with his co-star Vince Vaughn and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg.
Buscemi was stabbed multiple times, above the eye and in the jaw, throat and arm, according to police. He was treated at a local emergency room and released.
“The situation could have been life-threatening,” a source told Entertainment Weekly, which reported that the star had returned to New York to recover and undergo plastic surgery on his wounds.