Steve Buscemi: NYPD arrests suspect following random attack on actor

New York police have arrested a suspect after actor Steve Buscemi was punched in a seemingly random attack.

Buscemi, known for his starring role in the television series Boardwalk Empire, was attacked on May 8 while walking in Manhattan.

Police did not say who they arrested Friday, but previously identified Clifton Williams, 50, as a suspect.

The attack comes as the New York Police Department said it had seen an “increase” in assaults in the city.

A publicist for Buscemi, 66, said earlier this week that the actor had to be hospitalized on his face after a “random act of violence” on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, during which he suffered bruises and a bloody eye.

Police said the suspect was Mr Williams, who is believed to be homeless.

The NYPD did not say Friday what charges the suspect could face.

In a statement after the incident, Buscemi’s publicist said the actor was “another victim” of a random act of violence in the city.

“He is doing well and appreciates everyone’s well wishes, although he is incredibly sad for everyone who experienced this while walking the streets of New York,” the publicist said.

Random attacks have been reported in the city, and hundreds of National Guard troops were deployed in March to the metro to deal with high-profile incidents of violence.

The NYPD said this week that felonious assaults in the city have increased 15% since the start of the year and misdemeanor assaults have increased 7%.

Buscemi is a New Yorker who once worked as a firefighter. His portrayal of a corrupt Atlantic City politician leading a double life during Prohibition in the hit HBO series Boardwalk Empire earned him a Golden Globe Award.