Security guard at Apple Store in Manhattan is stabbed multiple times during argument over face masks as New York's violent crimewave continues

 A security guard at an Apple Store in Manhattan has been stabbed several times, including in his face, following a dispute over wearing a face mask, as crime in New York City continues to rise. 

The confrontation happened inside the West 14th Street store on Friday, shortly after 6pm.

The NYPD say the suspect became irate when the store's 37-year-old security guard enforced the store's mask policy. 

The Chelsea store had a sign at the entranceway that reads 'masks are required' ABC 7 News reported. 

During the confrontation the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed the security guard multiple times in the back, forehead and in the left arm, police said. 


Blood splatter remains at the scene of the brutal stabbing in the Chelsea Apple Store

Blood splatter remains at the scene of the brutal stabbing in the Chelsea Apple Store

Police arrive at the scene of the stabbing as they continue to search for the suspect that fled

Police arrive at the scene of the stabbing as they continue to search for the suspect that fled

Police are searching for the suspect that stabbed a 37-year-old security guard in the face

Police are searching for the suspect that stabbed a 37-year-old security guard in the face

Blood remains on the floor of the West 14th Street Apple Store in Chelsea after the stabbing

Blood remains on the floor of the West 14th Street Apple Store in Chelsea after the stabbing 

An NYPD officer stands guard at the Chelsea Apple Store as officers continue to investigate

An NYPD officer stands guard at the Chelsea Apple Store as officers continue to investigate 

Police say the suspect, described as a black male in his 20's, remains at large

Police say the suspect, described as a black male in his 20's, remains at large

 

Police say the suspect fled the scene on foot and ran into the 14th Street and 8th Ave subway and remains at large

Police say the suspect fled the scene on foot and ran into the 14th Street and 8th Ave subway and remains at large


The suspect fled the scene on foot and ran into the 14th Street and 8th Ave subway, and remains at large. 

The 37-year-old guard was taken to a local hospital where he remains in serious but stable condition. 

A witness told ABC7 he saw cops running into the back of the store and the security guard get taken out in stretcher following the attack. 

'I saw him when they took him out on a stretcher, two paramedics followed by about five or six policemen, but I did see cops running in and running to the back,' witness Roberto Monticello said.

Police have described the suspect as a black male in his 20's who is about 5'6 tall last seen wearing a black mask, black sweatshirt, and blue jeans.  

The security guard was attacked while enforcing the store's mask mandate still in place in some businesses across the city. 

Police tape goes up in front of the West 14th Street Apple Store following the Friday night stabbing

Police tape goes up in front of the West 14th Street Apple Store following the Friday night stabbing

NYPD officers were at the scene of the crime that left a 37-year-old security guard in serious but stable condition

NYPD officers were at the scene of the crime that left a 37-year-old security guard in serious but stable condition

 

Police inspect the scene of the brutal stabbing on Friday that left a security guard with multiple stab wounds

Police inspect the scene of the brutal stabbing on Friday that left a security guard with multiple stab wounds

The stabbing comes as crime in the city rose 2.6 percent overall in September 2021 compared to the same month in 2020, with an extra 243 incidents reported

The stabbing comes as crime in the city rose 2.6 percent overall in September 2021 compared to the same month in 2020, with an extra 243 incidents reported

Roberto Monticello (pictured) told ABC7 he saw cops running into the back of the store and the security guard get taken out in stretcher following the attack

Roberto Monticello (pictured) told ABC7 he saw cops running into the back of the store and the security guard get taken out in stretcher following the attack

New York City currently has some of the most restrictive COVID-19 rules after Mayor Bill de Blasio imposed earlier this summer a mandate that people need to be vaccinated – and show proof of vaccination – to enjoy indoor activities like dining, concerts, movies and convention centers.

In September de Blasio ordered all city workers to return to the office and said workers will have to wear face masks in communal spaces and choose between vaccination or weekly testing.

The order went into effect for the city's 300,000 worker but mostly affected the 80,000 who work in offices at city agencies like the Department of Cultural Affairs or the libraries. 

The brutal stabbing also comes as NYC experiences a spike in violent crime.

New crime statistics show assaults have climbed 18.5 percent and robberies were up 6 percent in September as the NYPD revealed it has made more than 3,400 gun arrests so far this year.

Stark data released by the NYPD last month showed crime rose 2.6 percent overall in September 2021 compared to the same month in 2020, with an extra 243 incidents reported. 

Violent and horrific subway attacks and gang-related gun battles are a common occurrence in the streets of the city with some boroughs being ravaged by the crime wave more than others. 

Manhattan South recording the biggest spike in crime (20.1 percent) last month compared to the previous September.

Manhattan North has also seen a rise in crime, up by 3.2 percent in the same timeframe.

Brooklyn South saw crime spike by 5.3 percent, Staten Island by 9 percent and the Bronx - where a terrifying gun fight broke out between gangs last month - by 4.9 percent.

A map showing the New York City boroughs where crime has increased (in red) and decreased (in green) in September 2021 compared to the same month last year

A map showing the New York City boroughs where crime has increased (in red) and decreased (in green) in September 2021 compared to the same month last year

Crime has, however, fallen in some boroughs of the city, down by 4.2 percent in Brooklyn North, 5.8 percent in Queens North.

In Queens South, crime fell 3.7 percent between the two months - even though there were six murders recorded there last month.

Despite the rise in some violent offenses, NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea hailed the fall in murders and shootings last month.

Murders fell by 22 percent from 59 in September 2020 to 46 last month, while shootings were down 9.3 percent from 150 to 136. 

Mayor Bill De Blasio tried to put a positive spin on the numbers on in his press briefing Wednesday morning.

The mayor touted the rise in gun arrests as an 'extraordinary success' rather than a concerning sign of a rise in firearm use.

'It's a typical thing out there for certain folks to doubt New York City, or to doubt our ability to make a comeback, or doubt the NYPD, but the facts speak for themselves,' he said. 

'Even in the most extraordinarily difficult circumstances - total disruption of our society because of a global pandemic, unprecedented - the NYPD has fought back, neighborhood folks have fought back, the city has fought back and we're seeing it in so many ways.'

He added: 'We're seeing the city come back to life.' 

The mayor said several crimes such as robbery and felony crime are currently at the lowest rate in the last three decades on a year-to-date basis.   

And de Blasio said things will improve further as the city continues to come back to life - through a return of tourism and workers returning to their offices. 

That is part of his 'safety in numbers' theory, where larger crowds of people gathering are likely to deter opportunistic criminals from carrying out attacks. 

Yet, the tourist hotspots have been at the center of some of the violence of late.

Times Square - known for its flashing billboards and bright lights which draw in around 50 million visitors every year - has been the site of three shootings and a horrifying incident where a woman pushed a bystander in front of a subway train.

The mayoral candidate frontrunner Eric Adams has vowed to tackle the escalating violence when de Blasio leaves office at the end of this term. 

Last week he said his first focus will be to crack down on guns entering the city.

His other plans include the creation of a dedicated plain-clothed anti-gun violence unit in the NYPD. 

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