Subway musician attack: Police arrest woman accused in random NYC assault
NEW YORK CITY - The NYPD arrested a woman accused of striking a NYC subway cellist unprovoked in the back of the head with his metal water bottle while he performed.
Iain Forrest was playing his electric cello earlier this month at the 34th Street Herald Square Station in Manhattan when he was randomly attacked.
Police arrested Amira Hunter, 23, of Brooklyn, on Wednesday night and charged her with assault. There's still no word on a possible motive for the attack.
Subway musician says he's done performing after bottle attack: 'I don't think I can do this anymore'
Iain Forrest, a musician who plays the cello in the New York City subway, says he doesn't think he wants to perform anymore after a woman hit him with his water bottle in an unprovoked attack.
Forrest is a medical student and musician who's been performing in New York City's subway system under the name "Eyeglasses" as part of the Music Under New York volunteer program.
"I just felt terrible pain in the back of my head. I was out of it, and when I saw my metal water bottle rolling around on the ground, and saw my fans who were watching the performance, their faces were absolutely horrified, then I put it together," Forrest told FOX 5 NY's Lisa Evers.
According to Forrest, it's the second time in under a year he's been attacked while playing music in the city's subway system, and that attacks on musicians are more common than many realize.
"I was terrified to share it with my fans too and subject other people, but I thought it was important to show people what happens to musicians who perform in the subway. This actually happens a lot," Forrest said.
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Forrest was attacked last May in the Times Square station.
"I was packing up my instrument and my case and this man tried to steal my cello and my instrument. He punched me repeatedly and then put me in a chokehold finally before taking off and destroying my sound equipment," Forrest said.
He said NYPD officers arrested the suspect and temporarily gave Forrest extra protection, but he knows they have a vast system to patrol and can't stay in one spot. That's why he is joining his fellow musicians in the Subway Advocacy Group to call for the tracking of attacks on subway musicians and possibly employ private security who could summon police.
"They're unfortunately too frequent. Musicians I've talked with who are part of the Music Under New York Program and outside of it they'll tell you that they've been attacked and harrassed, they've been robbed of their instrument or their donations," Forrest said.
Forrest, who has performed at Madison Square Garden and Yankee Stadium, said he has no plans to return to the subway with his electric cello, but he is continuing to create and perform the music he loves at other venues, where he doesn't have to worry about risking his life.