Nearly a dozen people were in custody -- and cops are looking for at least 18 more -- after a teenager was stabbed and a man was beaten by a group in separate acts of violence in Times Square on Thursday, according to police.
The stabbing happened first, just after 5:30 p.m. in the area of West 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue, a senior police official said. A 17-year-old boy was stabbed and a group of people took off.
News 4 New York obtained video showing the horrific attack on the 17-year-old. The teen is grabbed around the neck and thrown to the ground. He then tries to get up but several people swarm him. He is kicked in the head, making him fall back down to the ground. A person in a yellow vest then hits the victim with an object, before hiding it. As the teenager stands up, he’s immediately surrounded by more attackers and pummeled by punches as people walk by. He falls down once more unto the bus lane, where he’s swarmed by more than 20 individuals who kick, punch and elbow him, police said.
The teen's condition was not immediately clear and the circumstances that led to the fight are unknown at this time. A large knife was taken into evidence. Seven people were arrested.
About two hours later, another person was injured in a brutal beatdown nearby, on Broadway between West 43rd and 44th streets near the Hard Rock Cafe, according to police. The victim in that case, a 28-year-old man, was repeatedly kicked and punched in the face after a verbal disagreement turned violent, authorities said.
He was taken to Bellevue Hospital and is expected to recover. Three people were taken into custody in connection with the assault, police said.
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Police don't believe the attacks were linked.
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The two incidents were the latest bouts of violence in the city's tourist hub. Earlier in February, a 15-year-old migrant was arrested for allegedly shooting a Brazilian tourist inside a clothing store, then firing at NYPD officers.
Details on the charges weren't immediately clear late Friday morning.
