New York City police are searching for a man who allegedly attacked a Chase bank security guard in the neck with a knife Friday morning in the Upper East Side.
The suspect arrived at the bank before it opened for business, according to authorities, and the security guard told him he couldn’t come inside yet.
When the guard let bank employees in ahead of the opening, the suspect allegedly became upset that they were allowed in, while he wasn’t.
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He entered once the bank opened around 9 a.m. and allegedly grew belligerent with a teller. The manager asked him to leave, and the guard got involved, telling him to leave as well.
After a tense verbal exchange, the suspect allegedly slashed or stabbed the guard in the neck.
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EMS rushed the guard to a hospital in critical condition after the suspect ran out of the bank at 244 East 86th Street, according to the NYPD. There was no update on his condition as of Friday afternoon.
WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTO
Police say the suspect is a Hispanic male who was wearing a white shirt. He had "long curly hair" and appeared to be in his 20s. He fled west on foot.
Images from the scene show blood stains outside the bank's front door, with police standing guard after the attack.
Although the altercation happened at a bank, police said they did not immediately have surveillance images of the suspect.
"Our thoughts are with the security guard and his family, and we are cooperating with police," a Chase spokesperson told Fox News Digital Friday.
The attack is the latest in a wave of violent crime afflicting New York City, which has residents on edge, according to recent polling.
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Police statistics show felony assaults were up nearly 20% year to date as of Sunday, this year compared to last, and up nearly 30% over 2020.