Cops are searching for the crook who spit on and violently assaulted a bus driver in East Flatbush on Tuesday morning.
Police said the trouble began just before 9 am aboard a B47 bus heading westbound along Clarkson Avenue toward Remsen Avenue.
According to law enforcement, the attacker initially approached the 57-year-old male bus driver just as he stopped in front of 991 Clarkson Ave. The suspect spat on the driver, then exited the bus.
Security video from inside the bus, which the NYPD released on Feb. 10, shows the suspect — with his mask on his chin — seated behind the driver’s seat and talking with him moments before the assault.
After the passenger spat on him, cops said, the driver also disembarked from the bus and got into a verbal confrontation with him.
Police said the words turned physical when the suspect picked up a piece of wood from off the ground and smacked the driver in the head with it, temporarily knocking the driver out.
Following the assault, authorities noted, the perpetrator ran away on foot southbound along Remsen Avenue.
Officers from the 67th Precinct responded to the incident. EMS rushed the bus driver in stable condition to Kings County Hospital, where doctors treated him for a serious head injury and contusion.
Police described the attacker as a man believed to be 20 years of age with a dark complexion, standing 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing about 170 pounds. He wore a light-colored hooded jacket, a knit cap, a surgical mask, blue jeans and sneakers while carrying a blue-and-green backpack.
Tim Minton, the MTA’s communications director, issued a statement condemning the attack.
“It’s reprehensible and unacceptable that anyone would attack a Bus Operator, one of the many heroes of this pandemic,” Minton said. “We are cooperating fully with the NYPD investigation, and thoughts are with our colleague for a speedy recovery.”
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at nypdcrimestoppers.com, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
