An Astoria man was viciously beaten by a suspect outside a BP gas station in Astoria last week, according to video footage. Photos of the suspect and a screenshot of the second attack (l.) and the BP Gas Station (r.) Google Maps
July 10, 2023 By Michael Dorgan
The Astoria/Queens Post has obtained shocking footage of an Astoria man being viciously beaten by a suspect outside a BP gas station in Astoria last week.
The terrifying incident left the 44-year-old man with a broken nose, multiple fractures to his jaw and other facial fractures, according to the victim, who wishes to remain anonymous.
Moments before the caught-on-tape incident occurs, the victim was walking his dog on 41st Street, between 30th Avenue and Newtown Road, on July 2 at around 5:25 p.m., when the suspect kicked his dog which led to a heated dispute between the pair, according to police.
The NYPD said the perpetrator then struck the man in the face before fleeing the scene. The victim told the Astoria/Queens Post that the suspect had been arguing with a female moments before he lashed out at the dog.
The video obtained by the Astoria/Queens Post shows the victim running through the courtyard of the BP Gas Station on 30th Avenue. The victim told the Astoria/Queens Post he was running to call the cops when the perpetrator physically attacked him for a second time.
The victim said he had given his dog to his neighbors and was running toward the corner of 30th Avenue and Steinway Street — near the Duane Reade — since the police have been known to be stationed there recently. He said he did not know the suspect was in the courtyard at the time.
As the victim runs through the courtyard, the suspect, who is wearing a black T-shirt and gray pants, lunges toward him and strikes him with his right hand, the video shows.The victim falls backward and the suspect then unleashes another punch as both men bundle over each other onto the ground.
As the victim and the suspect rise to their feet, the suspect unleashes another attack, knocking the victim onto his back.
By this time, three other individuals arrive on the scene — a male and two females who appear to be with the suspect.
One of the females can be seen dragging the suspect away from the victim, but the perpetrator breaks free and can then be seen kicking the victim twice in the head. The victim alleges that members of the group attempted to steal his phone and that one of the females took his glasses.
As the group disperses, another scuffle almost breaks when the victim runs after them and throws a small object at them, believed to be an item that fell out of a purse during the scuffle.
However, an SUV driver who had just pulled into the courtyard intervenes and the group walks away while the victim can be seen holding his face in pain and looking for his glasses.
The 44-year-old said he was rushed to the Weill Cornell Medicine Center for Trauma and was treated there for two days.
He said he is terrified to leave his home following the attacks.
Police say they are searching for the man in the black T-shirt (L) (Photo provided)
“I’m a gay man with a little Yorkie who is now afraid to leave the house just because someone decided he would take his frustrations and anger out on me and my dog,’ the victim said.
He said that he doesn’t think he was attacked because of his sexuality, but feels he is an easy target because he is gay.
The victim said he has lived in the area for 18 years and nothing like this has ever happened to him before.
He added that after the second incident, nobody came to his aid even though he was covered in blood and clearly injured.
“You see me [on video] stumbling around unable to see, asking people to help me find my glasses or help me call the police as I’m bleeding and have clearly been hurt and not a single person stopped to help me,” the man said.
“Even the guy from the gas pump who stopped them the second time went back to pumping his gas. It was a very grim scene.”
Police say they are looking for a black male with braids/cornrows in relation to this incident.
There are no arrests and the investigation is ongoing.
