A man urinating on a car in Manhattan allegedly slashed the throat of a passerby who told him to stop, New York Daily News reported Monday.
The 66-year-old passerby and two other witnesses complained about the man’s conduct, which escalated into an argument with the suspect who slashed the throat of the passerby, the outlet reported. (RELATED: Here’s Yet Another Sign The Decline Of Urban America Continues Apace)
Man urinating on car in Manhattan slashes throat of passerby who told him to stop, leaving victim clinging to life, police say
Comment sparked an argument, during which victim was slashed in the neck, causing what police described as ‘severe laceration’https://t.co/dWAbVCA5ES
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) January 22, 2024
The New York City Police Department said the 66-year-old victim suffered a “severe laceration” and was rushed to a hospital in critical condition, the outlet noted. The other two witnesses did not sustain injuries during the altercation, the outlet reported.
In 2016, the New York City Council passed a law easing its criminal laws against public urination over concern that too many minorities were getting arrested. While police would retain the ability to arrest people under the reform, the city council encourages cops to hand out civil summons instead. First-time offenders would be fined from $25 to $250, while those too poor to pay the fine are offered the option of doing community service instead.
“This legislation will help us play a crucial role in building a fairer criminal justice system for all New Yorkers. It will help us drive down crime,” then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
There were only 67 criminal summons issued for quality-of-life violations in July 2020 compared to 3,915 in June 2023 the Daily News reported. Over 90% of summons were issued to racial minorities, the outlet noted. “Quality of life complaints, which are often a precursor to violence, remain a real concern to residents in all city neighborhoods. The NYPD is always responsive to those we serve,” the NYPD told the city.