NEW YORK — A 41-year-old man was repeatedly stabbed and slashed during a bloody fight with a rival in Times Square Saturday as the city prepared for its annual New Year’s Eve celebration, police said.
The victim, who is believed to be homeless, was at the corner of Seventh Avenue and 40th Street about 11 a.m. when he got into an argument with another man, cops said.
The two men quickly came to blows. During the fight, the suspect pulled a blade and repeatedly stabbed and slashed his rival in the chest and back.
The attack took place about three blocks from One Times Square, where the iconic New Year’s Eve ball drop will be held.
The victim ran into a nearby train station, but quickly ran back above ground and flagged down a New York City Police Department cruiser. He smeared his blood on the cruiser as cops called for medical assistance.
EMS rushed the victim to Bellevue Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, but expected to survive. He refused to talk to police about how he was injured and who attacked him, a police source with knowledge of the case said.
The attacker ran off. No arrests have been made.
The bloody brawl took place after the city prepared Times Square for the scores of people expected to watch the ball drop.
At 4 a.m. the NYPD closed off several streets and began placing barricades. The area is expected to be open to spectators at 3 p.m.
Saturday’s stabbing comes as police are trying to fight a 12% jump in assaults this year. As of Dec. 25, cops had investigated 25,596 assaults, 2,858 more than last year, according to NYPD statistics.
While assaults were up, cops saw a 17% drop in shootings and a 13% in homicides this year, when compared to 2021′s numbers, police said.
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