Over 50 individuals have been apprehended in connection with several disturbing anti-Asian incidents in New York City, with new charges emerging for a man accused of attacking subway riders. Clive Porter, aged 33, allegedly punched a 45-year-old man in the face at the Bowery and Delancey Street subway station around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, causing him to topple onto the tracks.
This assault was part of a troubling series of five, linked to similar aggressive actions. Reports suggest that just before the attack, Porter shouted, “Are you Asian?” at his victim prior to fleeing. Thankfully, the victim managed to pull himself back onto the platform and received treatment for a swollen eye.
Interestingly, after his arrest, authorities connected Porter to four more attacks that took place earlier that day. It began when he allegedly punched a 72-year-old man in the face, resulting in a broken nose, around 9:40 a.m. on the Lower East Side. Only two minutes later, he targeted a 33-year-old Asian man on Canal Street, striking him and making him fall to the ground.
Porter’s alarming actions didn’t stop there; he was also accused of pickpocketing an elderly Asian woman, before assaulting another older woman at Forsyth Street and East Broadway. As a result, he faces multiple charges, including hate crime-related assault, reckless endangerment, and harassment.
It’s worth noting that this incident isn’t Porter’s first brush with the law. He has an extensive criminal record, reportedly encompassing 61 felonies, 24 misdemeanors, and a violation. Recently, he had been granted supervised release after a prior incident involving threatening another man with a knife in midtown Manhattan.
Moreover, on the same day of his arrest, he was said to have threatened yet another man at knifepoint in the bustling Times Square area.
As of now, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has not provided any comments regarding the situation.
