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A suspect has been charged in connection with a sucker punch attack that injured actor Steve Buschemi on Third Avenue in Manhattan last week has been arrested, according to the NYPD.
The 66-year-old former “Boardwalk Empire” and “Sopranos” star suffered a black eye and bleeding in the May 8 ambush, police said. On Friday, the New York Police Department identified the suspect as 50-year-old homeless man Clifton Williams. He is charged with second-degree assault.
Law enforcement sources said Williams changed his appearance and fled Manhattan as Buscemi was treated at a hospital.
SUSPECT IN ATTACK ON ACTOR STEVE BUSCEMI IDENTIFIED
NYPD have 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 told Fox News Digital earlier. “He is ok and appreciates everyone’s well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of NY.”
The attack took place around noon on May 8. A man in blue walked up and punched him in the face, leaving the actor with swelling and bleeding in his left eye.
Photos showed he returned to work on a film set in the city, with a black eye hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. A motive for the attack has not been disclosed.
ACTOR STEVE BUSCEMI BLOODIED AND BRUISED IN NYC ASSAULT AS POLICE HUNT ATTACKER
Witnesses told ABC’s New York affiliate that Buscemi, a former firefighter who visited Ground Zero in the wake of 9/11 to volunteer alongside his former battalion, chased after his attacker following the surprise attack.
Steve Buscemi attends the Peacock’s “Bupkis” World premiere at The Apollo Theater on April 27, 2023 in New York City. (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
Police released surveillance images showing Williams in a blue shirt and sweatpants, carrying a backpack near the scene of the crime.
In March, another “Boardwalk” star, Michael Stulhbarg, was also attacked at random in Manhattan. Someone threw a rock at him from behind.
He detained his own assailant until the NYPD arrived in that case.
