Disturbing video shows unsuspecting NYC man hit in the head with a baseball bat

Alarming video shows a belligerent attacker pulling a baseball bat from his pants and hitting an unsuspecting man in the back of the head on a Manhattan sidewalk.

The 47-year-old victim, who is homeless, had been in a dispute with his assailant before the attack, police sources said Sunday.

According to the footage released by cops Saturday, the victim is knocked to the ground, and the unknown attacker is seen angrily yelling over him as he lies on the sidewalk in front of 1770 Amsterdam Ave. in Hamilton Heights on Tuesday at 8:06 a.m.

The assailant glances at his victim’s face before pulling out the weapon, the footage shows.

Police are now asking for the public’s help identifying the assailant.

The video clip shows the attacker first fiddling with the bat in his pants with the handle covered by a hooded sweatshirt. He then walks behind his intended target and nearly passes him, glancing over at his face.

At that moment, a third man walks in the opposite direction between the two and the attacker turns toward the street and stops, seeming to wait for the bystander to pass before he takes out the bat. He takes a hard swing at the victim, who tumbles to the ground and rolls around in pain.

The bat-wielding man then returns and yells at the victim, appearing to stomp him at one point before leaving again.

The attacker was last seen in a hooded sweatshirt with “Nike” on the front, gray sweatpants and black sneakers. The victim suffered a laceration and bruising and was taken by ambulance to NYC Health and Hospitals/Harlem in stable condition, the NYPD said. 

Cops are asking anyone with information to call the Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/.