Homeless NYC man is perp-walked after being charged with randomly attacking actor Steve Buscemi on Manhattan street
Police arrested Clifton Williams, 50, for punching actor Steve Buscemi on May 8He was hit with a felony second-degree assault charge and misdemeanor assaultHe was busted when he tried to report stolen property to the police
Police have arrested a homeless man suspected of punching Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi in an unhinged attack in Manhattan last week.
Clifton Williams, 50, was busted when he tried to report stolen property to the police, with an officer recognizing him as the man who allegedly punched Buscemi, 66, on a Kips Bay street on May 8.
Williams was perp-walked by police on Friday at 13th Precinct in New York and hit with a felony second-degree assault charge.
He was also accused of attacking a 22-year-old Asian man just minutes before assaulting Buscemi, leading to a misdemeanor assault charge.
The NYPD tracked him down using surveillance footage and found him at a Brooklyn homeless shelter, his last known address, where he is known as an ‘***hole’ among his neighbors.
Police have arrested the unhinged homeless man, Clifton Williams, 50, who punched actor Steve Buscemi in a random attack in Manhattan on May 8
Police released a surveillance image from the attack showing the suspect, Williams, wearing a dark baseball hat, blue T-shirt, black pants, and white sneakers
Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi, 66, was left bruised and bloodied after he was punched in the face in one of the latest random attacks on a Kips Bay street in New York City last week
Williams remained silent as he was escorted from the 13th precinct to his arraignment.
The police received a call from the superintendent of the homeless services building in Chelsea. They reported harassment by Williams over allegedly stolen belongings.
When an officer arrived, Williams was asked to file a report for his lost property. However, during this process, the officer recognized Williams' name and linked it to the suspect in the Buscemi attack.
Williams allegedly confessed to his involvement in the crime when confronted with an NYPD wanted poster.
He was busted when he tried to report stolen property to the police as one recognized him as the man who allegedly punched Buscemi
Williams, who is pictured getting perp-walked by police on Friday at 13th Precinct in New York City, was hit with a felony second-degree assault charge
Williams reportedly had a poor reputation at the homeless center where he was apprehended, according to people living in the shelter.
One man named Aziz described Williams' general attitude as unpleasant to the The New York Post.
'He's called me a cracker and all types of stuff,' Aziz told The Post.
Another homeless man expressed disappointment at William's target, Buscemi, saying there are plenty of other people who he'd rather punch in the face.
'[Williams] is an asshole. Why would you want to hit someone like Steve Buscemi?' he told the outlet.
Buscemi was left bruised and bloodied after he was punched in the face in one of the latest random attacks on the streets of New York City last week.
The Brooklyn native, 66, was strolling along Third Avenue near East 27th Street in Kips Bay, in eastern Manhattan, at 11:48am on Wednesday, police said.
Williams, known as an '***hole' among neighbors, was also accused of attacking a 22-year-old Asian man just minutes before assaulting Buscemi, leading to a misdemeanor assault charge
The NYPD tracked him down using surveillance footage and found him at a Brooklyn homeless shelter, his last known address, where he is known as an ‘***hole’ among his neighbors
Williams is seen walking up to the actor and suddenly attacking him outside 369 Third Avenue, before fleeing the scene.
Buscemi was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was treated for bruising, swelling, and bleeding to his left eye.
'Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,' his publicist said.
'He is OK and appreciates everyone's well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of NY.'
A worker who was nearby when the assault happened told the New York Post: 'I saw he was with a woman, and then through the corner of the window I saw him trip and fall backwards.
'He right away got up and ran in the opposite direction,' they added. 'I didn't see who hit him.'
Police released a surveillance image of the alleged attacker, wearing a dark baseball hat, blue T-shirt, black pants, and white sneakers.
Buscemi grew up in NYC and was a firefighter in Brooklyn before he quit in the 1980s to pursue an acting career.
He returned to his old firehouse hours after the September 11 attacks and stayed at the World Trade Center site for days, sifting through rubble.
Buscemi starred in HBO series Boardwalk Empire as protagonist Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson
The actor has a career spanning four decades and is best known for his roles in HBO series Boardwalk Empire and films including 'Fargo' (pictured with co-star Peter Stormare)
The award-winning actor has a career spanning four decades and is best known for his roles in HBO series Boardwalk Empire and films like 'Fargo' and 'Reservoir Dogs.'
While working on the film Domestic Disturbance in Wilmington, NC, in 2001, Buscemi was the victim of another brutal assault.
The actor intervened in a bar brawl after two local men reportedly picked a fight with his co-star Vince Vaughn and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg.
Buscemi was stabbed multiple times, above the eye and in the jaw, throat, and arm, according to police. He was treated at a local emergency room and released.
'The situation could have been life-threatening,' a source told Entertainment Weekly, which reported that the star had returned home to New York to recuperate and have plastic surgery on his wounds.