Steve Buscemi’s alleged attacker arrested and charged in New York

Courtesy of the NYPD

A man accused of randomly punching movie and television star Steve Buscemi has been arrested and charged, according to the New York Police Department.

The NYPD identified the suspect as Clifton Williams, a 50-year-old homeless man. He is charged with second-degree assault. The crime is a class D felony and carries a possible sentence of seven years in prison. Second-degree assault is also classified as a violent crime and a judge is required to impose a minimum sentence of two years in prison.

Buscemi, 66, was struck last week while walking in Manhattan’s Kips Bay neighborhood. THE Boardwalk Empire And Sopranos The star suffered a black eye and bled during the May 8 ambush, police said.

Law enforcement sources said Williams changed his appearance and fled Manhattan while Buscemi was being treated at a hospital.

Buscemi was the latest celebrity to suffer a random attack on the streets of New York.

The broad daylight attack is just one of several incidents involving celebrities that have occurred in recent years. Comic actor Rick Moranis, Michael Stuhlbarg (who was in the series Boardwalk Empire with Buscemi), and reality TV star Bethenny Frankel are among similar victims.

Cops said the random attack on Buscemi happened around 11:48 a.m. Wednesday in front of 369 Third Ave.

Witnesses told ABC’s New York affiliate that Buscemi, a former firefighter who went to Ground Zero following 9/11 to volunteer with his former battalion, pursued his attacker after surprise attack.

Buscemi had a famous career. He appeared in the films Fargo And Reservoir dogs, and in the television series Calm your enthusiasmamong many others.