Karim Azizi has been taken into police custody in connection with a brutal attack on a homeless man in New York City.
Here is everything you need to know.
What did Karim Azizi do?
The New York officials arrested Karim Azizi on 7th December for allegedly attacking a homeless man on 29th November at Amsterdam Avenue and West 148th Street.
The CCTV footage obtained by TMZ, shows Azizi walking up behind the victim and
pulling out a baseball bat from his trousers.
Furthermore, he is also seen striking the head of the 47-year-old homeless man before the 36-year-old suspect starts kicking him.
According to the New York Police Department, the shocking crime stemmed from a previous argument between Azizi and the victim. Moreover, the suspect reportedly was not aware of the homeless man before that day.
Meanwhile, Pix11 said that the victim was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and is now in stable condition.
Azizi on the other hand is charged with assault, attempted assault, and criminal possession of a weapon.
Impact of Karim Azizi’s actions in New York City
Many netizens expressed their outrage over Karim Azizi’s alleged assault on the homeless man. However, others were quick to point out that it hinted at the growing violence frequency in New York City.
According to Newsweek, officials in New York have noted that while the rate of shootings and homicides has taken a significant decline in the city, robbery and assault cases saw a 15.2% overall increase in the crime index.
Meanwhile, NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell talked about the growing violent crime in New York during a press release.
He said, ‘One crime victim is one victim too many, and the hardworking women and men of the NYPD are committed to ensuring that no one—in any New York City neighborhood—is harmed by violence or disorder.’
Furthermore, he continued, ‘Most importantly, we must shatter the perception among criminals that there are no consequences for violent crime, and realign our system to center on those who matter most: crime victims.’
Sewell explained, ‘At the NYPD, we will never stop delivering on our public-safety promise. We need every sector of our society to make the same pledge to see that promise fully realized.’
Besides that, school safety activist Andrew Pollack took to his Twitter account to express his concern over the violence.
He shared, ‘The crime rate in New York City went up 11.2 PERCENT in October. Bill de Blasio can’t leave soon enough!’