Source: X screenshot
Amid a social media-led uproar after a video recorded over the weekend showed a man identified as a wealthy banker brutally punching a woman in the face in Brooklyn, the city’s police department said it was not immediately investigating the viral incident.
In the brief clip that’s been widely shared, a man unofficially identified as Jonathan Kaye reportedly broke the woman’s nose with one violent punch, knocking her to the street as stunned onlookers cursed him but did not try to stop him as he walked away unencumbered on Saturday night in the Park Slope neighborhood.
Kaye’s employer, an investment firmed named Moelis & Company, announced on Sunday it was investigating the incident, seemingly confirming the reports that he was indeed the man in the video.
But the NYPD, on the other hand, has nothing to investigate, it suggested in an email to NewsOne.
Responding to questions of whether the NYPD was investigating the incident, a spokesperson for the Deputy Commissioner Public Information would only say “The NYPD is aware of the video.”
Without addressing the woman in the video, the NYPD told NewsOne in an email that “We encourage anyone who has been a victim to file a police report,” adding that “There are currently no complaint reports on file.”
Perhaps one of the Park Slope residents who spoke to the Daily Mail about their neighbor will file a police report if the victim does not.
But either way, the NYPD suggested it wouldn’t act without such a complaint being filed.
Conversely, Moelis & Company responded by swiftly suspending Kaye, further confirming he was the one shown on video punching the woman.
“We are aware that one of our employees was involved in a serious incident in Brooklyn on June 8,” a spokesperson for Moelis told Business Insider. “We take this matter very seriously, and this employee is on leave as we continue to conduct our investigation.”
The violence took place during a Pride Month event, bringing into question whether it was motivated by homophobia.
The social media post that brought widespread attention to the incident claimed that the man punched “a black woman,” which also introduced the topic of race into the violent equation.
The below video footage is graphic in nature and should be viewed with discretion.
However, the context of the footage was not immediately clear. Was it racist? Was it homophobic? Both? Neither? The unanswered questions have mounted in the wake of the video going viral.
Kaye is a Managing Director who “leads the global Business Services franchise” at Moelis & Company, according to the investment firm’s website.
Perhaps not for much longer, though.
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The post NYPD Not Investigating ‘Jonathan Kaye’ Punching Woman In Viral Video, Encourages Victims To Come Forward appeared first on NewsOne.
NYPD Not Investigating ‘Jonathan Kaye’ Punching Woman In Viral Video, Encourages Victims To Come Forward was originally published on newsone.com
