An Asian man was pushed to the ground and beaten by a stranger with brass knuckles in Queens, police sources said Monday.
The incident occurred around 5:30 a.m. Saturday, when the attacker got out of a gray sedan on 32-25th Street 38th Street in Long Island City and pushed the 61-year-old victim to the ground. .
The victim tried to fight and punched his attacker, but was then hit in the right eye with brass knuckles, sources said.
The victim was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital and received stitches. His backpack was stolen during the attack, police sources said.
Police could not immediately say whether the hate crime working group was investigating the crime.
The aggression comes amid an increase in biased crimes against Asian men and women across the city and beyond. The NYPD has increased patrols in communities with large Asian populations in response.