A New York City photographer spotted a crazed man clutching a six-inch blade Wednesday and creeping up on musicians in Times Square as hundreds of tourists walked nearby.
Shutterbug Richard Moore told the New York Post that he had noticed the man on a granite bench flashing the weapon at tourists and screaming at about 10 a.m. on Broadway between West 43rd and 44th streets.
“I thought, ‘Oh, this isn’t very good,’” Moore, of Hell’s Kitchen, told the local newspaper.
The knife-wielding man, who was clad in all red, then jumped from the bench and walked directly behind one of the musicians, who all appeared to be part of a Romanian band.
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Man spotted by New York City photographer creeping up on musicians in Times Square clutching a knife near hundreds of tourists. (Richard Moore )
“I noticed he had this knife in one hand, and he got close enough to one of the musicians to put his other hand on the musician’s shoulder,” said Moore, who took photos of the chilling encounter.
“This isn’t gonna be good,” Moore thought to himself before the man suddenly fell back and returned to the bench.
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The photographer called 911 and waited 12 minutes for cops to arrive and arrest the man, the Post reported.
“Police got him from behind,” Moore said. “I don’t know if they grabbed the knife, or he dropped it.”
A man is detained and patted-down by police in Times Square, New York City, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023. The man was photographed approaching a group of musicians from behind while carrying a knife. (Richard Moore)
He added that the three police officers “took him down safely.”
The NYPD identified the knife-wielding wacko as 22-year-old Deqon Massiah, who has been charged with menacing, harassment and criminal possession of a weapon.
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Times Square has been plagued by attacks on tourists over the years, including a Maryland man who was slashed and robbed in 2022 and a San Diego visitor stabbed in the neck with a pair of scissors last New Year’s Eve.
A new Siena College poll found that 70% of Big Apple residents fear they’ll be a victim of a crime.
Meanwhile, 87% of New York State residents think crime is either a very serious or somewhat serious problem, according to the poll.
A New York City police offer holds a six-inch knife that was taken away from a man arrested for allegedly menacing tourists in Times Squares July 12, 2023. (Richard Moore)
“Crime isn’t just something that happens to others far away according to New Yorkers,” said Siena College Poll Director Don Levy in a press release.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg admitted to FOX 5 New York in a recent interview that even he has concerns about crime.
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“I know the statistics that transit crime is down, but when one of my family members gets on the train, I, too, get a knot in my stomach,” he told the news station.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.
