A Manhattan man with a lengthy criminal history was arrested Wednesday after allegedly assaulting a stranger on subway tracks as part of a string of anti-Asian attacks, police said.
Clive Porter, 33, who has been arrested 86 times, allegedly punched a 45-year-old man in the face at the Bowery and Delancey Street subway station around 4 p.m., causing him to fall onto the tracks. The victim was treated for a swollen eye after climbing back onto the platform, authorities said.
Police said Porter reportedly shouted a racial slur before fleeing the scene. He was arrested less than an hour later near Grand and Forsyth streets and charged with assault as a hate crime, harassment, and reckless endangerment.
While in custody, Porter allegedly spat on an officer at the 5th Precinct and headbutted another at Bellevue Hospital, according to police. Investigators also connected him to several additional incidents earlier the same day.
At around 9:40 a.m., a 72-year-old man was reportedly punched on Hester Street near Eldridge Street, sustaining a broken nose. Minutes later, a 33-year-old Asian man on Canal Street near Forsyth Street was allegedly struck in the head, causing him to fall. Porter also allegedly pickpocketed an elderly Asian woman on Eldridge Street and assaulted another elderly woman at Forsyth Street and East Broadway, police said.
Porter’s criminal record includes 61 felonies, 24 misdemeanors, and numerous other incidents. Authorities said his past arrests include allegedly threatening a man with a knife and committing assaults in Times Square, Brooklyn, and subway stations across Manhattan. He has also been linked to hate-related graffiti, including swastikas and anti-LGBTQ messages.
Prosecutors noted that several of Porter’s recent charges were non-bail-eligible, resulting in supervised release.
Police and prosecutors continue to investigate the full extent of the alleged attacks.