Caught On Video: Postal Worker Badly Beaten By Men On Dirt Bikes While On The Job In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A mail carrier is recovering after suffering several broken bones in his face.
Police said he was assaulted by at least two men on dirt bikes and they remain at large, CBS2's Natalie Duddridge reported Wednesday.
One business owner said he saw a group of several men on dirt bikes riding around a Greenpoint, Brooklyn neighborhood aggressively, right before the assault happened.
Police released new surveillance video that very clearly captures the whole incident. It shows a 57-year-old U.S. Postal Service mail carrier pushing his cart near McGuinness Boulevard and Nassau Avenue at around 6 p.m. on Monday when a man riding a bike illegally on a sidewalk pulls up behind him. The mail carrier is seen swiping at him with his keys and the suspect lashes back at him and then the situation turns violent.
A second man, wearing almost identical clothing as the first -- silver helmets and white shirts -- joins in and continuously punches the mail carrier. Police said the victim suffered multiple broken facial bones in his face and is being treated at Woodhull Hospital.
"I think that was terrible, that was uncalled for. I'm surprised. I'm shocked, because he don't ... he does his route, comes home," neighbor Robert Laurie said.
"They should not have attacked him. I don't know what could've prompted it. He didn't have to go to that point," resident Rod Lee said.
"I'd like to think if I saw that I would be a hero and try to save the day, but it's hard to even know because in real time sometimes people react differently. That's terrible, terrible," another man said.
One bystander did step in to try and break up the fight. He is seen on video grabbing one of the suspects and pulling him back. Another man also appears to run in to try and help.
The suspects then take off on their bikes.
"Good to see somebody help. All you can do is defend yourself," Lee said.
Some Greenpoint residents said they are less and less surprised by crime, and feel the city is headed in the wrong direction.
"Now, crazy things happen," one said.
"The police don't do nothing, don't do nothing, nothing, nothing," another said.
"Well, you need more police to stop the crime," another added.
The mail carrier's next-door neighbor said he spoke to the man's family who told him they're tired of the city and are heading for Florida.
"'We're leaving New York for good.' They're not gonna come back," Jose Machado said.
If caught, the suspects would not only be charged with felony assault by the NYPD, but they'd also face a federal offense for assaulting a mail carrier.
Police said it's not clear what prompted the assault, or if the victim and suspects knew each other or had a previous interaction.
Anyone with information about their whereabout is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
Editor's note: This story was originally published on Wednesday, June 30.