Police release shocking video of man burned with scalding liquid in New York attack

Attack on 57-year-old victim unprovoked, police said

In the footage, a man can be seen running up to the 57-year-old victim before throwing an unknown substance on his back (NYPD)

New York police have released shocking footage of a man throwing burning liquid on a stranger in an unprovoked attack, in the hopes the public can help locate the assailant.

Police released footage of the “unprovoked” attack on Tuesday, which took place in midtown Manhattan on 5 July at approximately 10pm.

In the footage, a man can be seen running up to the 57-year-old victim before throwing an unknown substance on his back.

The man turns to look at the attacker but then suddenly falls to the ground apparently in pain as the suspect flees.

ABC7 reports that police say there were no words exchanged prior to or during the assault and says that the incident was unprovoked.

Reports said police described the suspect as an adult male with a “light complexion” who is between approximately five and seven feet tall and 130 pounds.

The man also had brown hair and brown eyes and was wearing black shorts and no shirt. The actions of the man are reported to constitute felony assault.

New York Police Department (NYPD) Sergeant Anwar Ishmael told Newsweek that the victim did not believe they knew the person behind the attack.

The New York Post reported that the victim admitted himself to Columbia University Irving Medical Center the day following and was treated for second-degree burns.

The NYPD said on Twitter that they would be offering a $3,500 reward for information that leads to the apprehension of the suspect.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is being asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).

The report of the attack comes only a day after the police department revealed its citywide crime statistics for the month of June.

According to the department, there were 2055 felony assaults across the month of June, up from 2039 in June 2020.

“As summer proceeds, the NYPD remains focused on precision policing to reduce violence across all five boroughs,” police said in a release.