The doormen at the Midtown Manhattan apartment that was the site of a horrific hate crime last month are out of jobs.
The attack shocked many, with a man allegedly kicking and stomping on a 65-year-old Asian woman directly outside of the luxury condo at 360 West 43rd Street.
Video released after the attack appeared to show several employees witnessing the attack, but apparently failing to act.
The Brodsky Organization, which owns the luxury condo, initially suspended the two doormen before firing them.
A week after a violent attack, two doormen who served as witnesses are out of a job
The attack happened last Monday in front of a Midtown Manhattan luxury building
In a surveillance video, one doorman was even seen closing the door after the assault
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
In a statement released on Tuesday, the company said: ‘The Brodsky Organization stands with the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community against racism and hate.
‘We are extremely distraught and shocked by this incident, and our hearts go out to the victim. We have been working with the AAPI civic community to reach her family, as well as to determine how best to support the fight against anti-Asian hate crimes.
‘We continue to partner with elected officials, the NYPD, and civic groups regarding larger issues of safety and justice.’
It added: ‘Today, The Brodsky Organization completed an inquiry into the response of the two doormen who were present inside the building at the time of this incident.
‘While the full lobby video shows that once the assailant had departed, the doormen emerged to assist the victim and flag down an NYPD vehicle, it is clear that required emergency and safety protocols were not followed.
‘For this reason, their employment has been terminated, effective immediately.’
The names of the doormen have not been publicly released.
Footage from March 29 shows one of the doormen closing the door to the building while the alleged attacker, Brandon Elliot, 38, kicked and stomped on the the face of Vilma Kari, 65, at least three times.
The Brodsky Organization later released footage showing three men coming to Kari’s aid after the attack ended.
Whether or not the men called for help during the attack has been disputed, according to CBSNewYork.
The union representing the doormen initially claimed they called 911, before shifting to say they flagged down a police car.
Brandon Elliot, 38, was picked up and charged as the alleged attacker in the hate crime
Prior to Elliot’s arrest, the police were offering a $2,500 reward for information
The NYPD, meanwhile, says they happened to come upon the victim while driving around.
Residents of the luxury building publicly came to the defense of the doormen following criticism of them for their lack of action during the attack.
Pictured: 360 West 43rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, the backdrop for the vicious attack
‘The security footage of the assault, which was edited to focus on the assailant and intended to procure his apprehension, most certainly mischaracterizes the door staff of 360 West,’ said the residents in a letter obtained by Real Estate Weekly.
‘The viral clip was unfortunately cut to inadvertently exclude the compassionate action taken by 360 West staff.
‘It is very apparent to us that the doorman who acted to secure our building by closing the front door, did not have line of sight at the time of the attack and was merely reacting to the aftermath of a physical altercation.
‘Immediately upon comprehending what had transpired, we commend the staff’s quick response in rendering aid to the victim, alerting medics, and cooperating with law enforcement.’
‘Our union is working to get further details for a more complete account, and urge the public to avoid a rush to judgment while the facts are determined,’ added SEIU 32BJ leader Kyle Bragg.
Elliot (left) faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the hate crime charges. Vilma Kari (right), 65, continues her recovery from the brutal attack at home
A fundraiser for Kari, meanwhile, has raised almost $250,000 for her care.
‘There are no words to describe how appreciative we are of your kindness and time,’ Kari’s daughter Liz wrote on GoFundMe.
‘We are blessed and humbled by your uplifting messages and reminded that despite how unique and different we may be from one another, we can still come together just as strong, compassionate, and resilient.’
Kari was discharged from the hospital last Tuesday.
Elliot was formally indicted during a court appearance on Monday in the case, according to the New York Post. The homeless man was out on parole in the death of his own mother.
He is scheduled to be arraigned on April 21.
Protesters have stood outside of the luxury buildings with signs of support for Asian lives
Anti-Asian violence has tripled in New York City this year, from 11 to 33 attacks from a year ago
He has been charged with two counts of felony assault as a hate crime, as well as a count of attempted assault in the first degree.
Last week, Elliot was represented in court by two public defenders who did not contest his detention because his lifetime parole was violated.
Elliot faces 25 years in prison, plus further penalties for violating his parole if he is convicted.
Elliot murdered his mother in the Bronx in 2002, in front of his five-year-old sister, and was sentenced to 25 years to life. He was released from prison on lifetime parole in 2019.
Police said Elliot was living at a hotel that serves as a homeless shelter a few blocks from the scene of the attack.
There is no indication Elliot knew the victim, a source previously told DailyMail.com.
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said Elliot’s post-release behavior raises serious questions about failures in the social services.
‘For the life of me, I don’t understand why we are releasing or pushing people out of prison – not to give them second chances, but to put them into homeless facilities or shelters, or in this case a hotel – and expect good outcomes,’ Shea said at a news conference last Wednesday.
‘We need real opportunities. We need real safety nets.’
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the attack ‘absolutely disgusting and outrageous,’ adding it was ‘absolutely unacceptable’ that witnesses didn’t help the woman.
CBSNewYork reports angry protesters gathered outside of the court where Elliot was set to appear.
‘It makes absolutely no sense to release somebody who killed his own mother and let him walk free in the streets with little or no follow-up or social services,’ said one protester. ‘Where was the parole officer?’
According to the police, there have been 33 anti-Asian hate crime victims so far in 2021 through March 28 in New York City, triple the amount from a year ago.
Pictured: A police officer on March 30 in Flushing, a heavily Asian neighborhood of NYC
