New York City police are investigating a possible hate crime after a black man reportedly shouted, "I'm going to punch the first white man I see," before attacking Jeffrey Babbitt, 62, who fell backward and hit his head on the ground, the Daily News reports. Babbitt is feared brain-dead.
Jeffrey Babbitt, 62, who is white, happened to be visiting Union Square about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when Lashawn Marten bashed him with a fist of racist rage, police sources said.
The unprovoked punch knocked Babbitt backward, and he hit his head on the ground. Doctors fear he may be brain dead.
"The prognosis is not good and it does appear that the victim will likely die," Manhattan Assistant District Attorney John Temple said at Marten's arraignment Thursday.
Read more at the Daily News.