A 60-year-old New York City taxi driver was severely beaten by a group of five men and women in broad daylight on a busy Midtown Manhattan street.
Two of the suspects, Howard Colley (35) and Natalie Morgan (51), were arrested at the scene. Police said the beating followed a verbal argument, without elaborating.
The savage attack happened near 6th Avenue and West 34th Street on July 19 and was caught on camera. According to the video posted by New York Post, three women and two men repeatedly hit the taxi driver with kicks and punches.
Our city’s hard-working drivers brave the streets every day to get us where we need to go, and violence against them is totally unacceptable and illegal.”
In a moment the unidentified gray-haired driver slumped to the side of the taxi and one of the women hits him several more times and kicks him in the chest, According to the video. The victim tried to protect his head with his hands and expressed pain as the Spectators watch without getting involved.
The man was taken in an ambulance to New York University Hospital in stable condition. The NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) condemned the violent assault.
“Our city’s hard-working drivers brave the streets every day to get us where we need to go, and Violence against them is totally unacceptable and illegal.” spokesman Jason Kersten said in a statement. “Our Driver Support Unit is in contact with the driver and offers assistance,” he added.
The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers (NYSFTD) also called for justice. “We must catch these young thugs and put them away,” the spokesman, Fernando Mateo, said in a statement. “This elderly driver did not deserve this brutal beating. The muggings, stabbings, shootings, and robberies must stop.” He also cited the deadly assault of 52-year-old taxi driver Kutin Gyimah during a robbery last summer in Queens.
For last week’s beating Colley was charged with assault and Morgan with criminal mischief. All charges are mere accusations and those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. There has been no information about the other attackers caught on video.
