Steve Buscemi attack: 'Person of interest' in custody in NYC sucker punch, police say
A "person of interest" is in custody in connection with a sucker punch attack that injured actor Steve Buschemi on Third Avenue in Manhattan last week, according to the NYPD.
The 66-year-old former "Boardwalk Empire" and "Sopranos" star suffered a black eye and bleeding in the May 8 ambush, police said.
They previously identified 50-year-old Clifton Williams as a suspect in the case but declined to confirm he was the one arrested Friday.
"As of right now, we have one person of interest in custody," an NYPD spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
Law enforcement sources said Williams changed his appearance and fled Manhattan as Buscemi was treated at a hospital.
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"Steve Buscemi was assaulted in midtown Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city," a spokesperson for the actor told Fox News Digital earlier. "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."
The attack took place around noon on May 8. A man in blue walked up and punched him in the face, leaving the actor with swelling and bleeding in his left eye.
Photos showed he returned to work on a film set in the city, with a black eye hidden behind a pair of sunglasses.
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Witnesses told ABC's New York affiliate that Buscemi, a former firefighter who visited Ground Zero in the wake of 9/11 to volunteer alongside his former battalion, chased after his attacker following the surprise attack.
Police released surveillance images showing Williams in a blue shirt and sweatpants, carrying a backpack near the scene of the crime.
In March, another "Boardwalk" star, Michael Stulhbarg, was also attacked at random in Manhattan. Someone threw a rock at him from behind.
He detained his own assailant until the NYPD arrived in that case.