Veteran actor Steve Buscemi was allegedly attacked Wednesday while walking in Manhattan, according to the New York Post.
Buscemi, 66, suffered facial injuries after the attack, according to the outlet. The assault, which occurred just before noon, reportedly left the actor with injuries in his left eye. Buscemi was found injured at the scene by New York Police Department (NYPD) officers; he was taken to a hospital for treatment, where he was reported as being in stable condition, according to the outlet.
Police identified the suspect as 50-year-old Clifton Williams. He was arrested Friday when he attempted to report stolen property to the police. An alert officer recognized Williams from surveillance footage of a May 8 incident, the New York Post reported. The case took a turn when Williams, unaware that police had identified him, walked into a police station to report a theft. An officer who recognized him from the footage arrested him.
The police had been actively searching for Williams, checking areas including a Brooklyn homeless shelter where he was believed to have been staying, the New York Post reported. Williams now faces charges related to the assault on Buscemi.
‘Boardwalk Empire’ star Steve Buscemi punched by maniac in random NYC attack https://t.co/RJ1ZZynXbn pic.twitter.com/9IDchJYI0t
— New York Post (@nypost) May 12, 2024
“Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,” Buscemi’s publicist said in an email statement, The New York Post reported. “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.” (RELATED: Video Shows ‘Beverly Hills 90210’ Actor Being Jumped By Group Of Bikers On NYE)
Steve Buscemi, recipient of the Cinema Icon Award, poses during the CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards ceremony at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. April 4, 2019. REUTERS/Steve Marcus
Actor Steve Buscemi (R), from the HBO drama series “Boardwalk Empire,” greets Ellar Coltrane (L) and Ethan Hawke, from the film “Boyhood,” as they arrive at the 21st annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles, California January 25, 2015. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson
“I saw he was with a woman, and then through the corner of the window I saw him trip and fall backwards,” a witness told The New York Post. “He right away got up and ran in the opposite direction. I didn’t see who hit him.”
Actor Steve Buscemi attends a SAG-AFTRA actors strike rally in Times Square Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., July 25, 2023. REUTERS/Mike Segar
Buscemi’s illustrious career in film and television extends over several decades, recently being celebrated for his performance in “Boardwalk Empire,” The New York Post reported. He has earned both a Golden Globe and an Emmy.
Steve Buscemi and Karen Ho arrive as actor and comedian Adam Sandler is awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center in Washington, U.S., March 19, 2023. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
Cast members (from L-R) Olivia Wilde, Jim Carrey, Steve Carell, Steve Buscemi and Alan Arkin pose at the premiere of “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” in Hollywood, California March 11, 2013. The movie opens in the U.S. on March 15. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
The incident is part of a troubling pattern in New York City where pedestrians — including celebrities and social media influencers — have increasingly become targets of assault. In a similar incident in March 2024, Michael Stuhlbarg, who starred alongside Buscemi in “Boardwalk Empire,” was assaulted in Central Park. The attacker, Xavier Israel, 27, was arrested and charged with assault after Stuhlbarg went after the suspect, according to the New York Post.