NYC eye doctor punched during exam gets stitches for head injury
NEW YORK -- A New York City eye doctor is recovering after a man punched him during an exam at his Manhattan clinic.
Dr. Ronald Goldstein, an optometrist on the Upper East Side, said he was with a patient when another man barged in and suddenly punched him in the head.
Surveillance video shows apparent random attack
Surveillance video of the punch Thursday afternoon shows Goldstein falling to the ground afterward.
"He came up from behind me and hit me, but I actually never saw him coming," Goldstein said. "They hit me in the side of the head and knocked me out."
Goldstein's patient got up to find help and returned with a staff member.
"She was very shocked and of course very concerned for me, and completely spooked by the experience," said Goldstein, who went to the hospital for a CT scan and got seven stitches.
A staff member called 911 while another coworker followed the man out and took pictures of him after he barged.
"He was gone in less than 30 seconds," the staff member said.
"Not one word. He didn't look at us at all," the coworker said. "Like he was on a mission.
Doctor plans to keep clinic doors locked from now on
Goldstein plans to keep the doors to his clinic locked now and will install a buzzer system for added security.
"I can't imagine on Earth what this would be about. I'm an optometrist. Most everybody walks out of here pretty happy," Goldstein said. "I've been practicing in this neighborhood for 37 years. I've never locked my door. But going forward now I don't have much of a choice."
Police are looking for the man seen in the surveillance video.
Anyone with any information 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 via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
