Prosecutors accused a man accused of stabbing an Asian man in the back with attempted second-degree murder, but did not file any hate crime charges in what appeared to be an unprovoked violent incident.
The attack took place on Thursday night in Chinatown, New York, when 23-year-old Salman Muflihi allegedly ran after the 36-year-old victim, grabbed his shoulder and nailed a knife to the man’s lower back.
“This case is every New Yorker’s worst nightmare,” public prosecutor Adam Johnson said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. “Being attacked by a complete stranger with a big knife for no reason.”
After the attack, prosecutors said Muflihi went to the public prosecutor’s office and told security that he had “stabbed a guy in the block”.
“If he dies, he dies,” said Johnson, the suspect told security. “He doesn’t give a damn.”
Authorities said Muflihi and the victim had had no prior interaction before the attack.
Video taken by ABC7 shows a man suddenly running after the innocent victim. Police were also seen retrieving a large kitchen knife from the crime scene on video obtained by the news agency.
The violent attack on New York City’s Chinatown streets occurs at a time when Asian communities across the country have seen a sharp increase in attacks, heightening fears of violence against Asian Americans, which some advocates say are fueled by xenophobia and racism.
Hate crimes against Asian Americans in New York increased from just three incidents to 28 cases in 2020, the New York Times reported, although activists say other attacks of this type were probably not reported or were not classified as hate crimes.
In the Bay Area of California, community leaders also raised the alarm this year after seeing a series of violent attacks against Asian Americans in the area. Earlier this month, California police arrested a man suspected of attacking and injuring at least three elderly Asian Americans.
In response to the number of attacks, the Asia Pacific Planning and Policy Council, the Chinese for Affirmative Action and the Department of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University launched a program to record and track incidents of hatred, violence, harassment and intimidation against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
After Muflihi was arrested in connection with Thursday’s stabbing, police said the 23-year-old was charged with suspicion of attempted murder, assault, hate crime, forgery and criminal possession of a weapon. But the Manhattan district attorney’s office chose not to include hate crime charges in court.
Johnson said prosecutors could bring additional charges in the case if justified during an ongoing investigation.
Prosecutors said the victim in the case suffered a liver puncture and internal bleeding after being taken to a nearby hospital. Doctors had to remove a kidney and adrenaline gland.
“He is still in the hospital in critical condition and may not survive,” said Johnson.