A 63-year-old man was killed after he bumped into stranger in New York City, according to police.
Police initially believed that Charles Cunningham had simply fallen and hit his head when he was found on the ground at the corner of 5th Avenue and East 105th Street in East Harlem in April 21.
First responders treated Cunningham and brought him to a hospital where he later died.
After obtaining video of the incident, police said that the case was classified as a murder.
The video showed Cunningham walking down the sidewalk on 5th Avenue at about 11:30 p.m. when he encountered a stranger. Police said he bumped into the man, who responded by immediately taking two swings at the 63-year-old.
The video shows Cunningham fall and slam his head on the ground, according to police.
He laid on the ground for about ten minutes before first responders arrived.
A medical examiner found that Cunningham died from internal brain bleeding and that he had suffered fractures to the back of his skull.
Police identified the man as 49-year-old Ariel Nunez from Middletown, New York. Investigators said it was unclear what he was doing in Manhattan before the attack.
Nunez was charged with murder, reckless endangerment, and assault. He was granted supervised release after being arraigned on Friday morning.
A neighbor who knew Cunningham and his three brothers said she was shocked about the murder.
“Wow, they were quiet brothers. They never bothered nobody, but like I said, that stayed to they self,” said Gwinette Thomas to WNBC-TV.
“You can’t even walk the street not without bumping someone and someone getting an attitude!” she added.
Here’s a local news report about the harrowing incident:
Man killed by stranger he bumped into on NYC sidewalk, police say | NBC New Yorkwww.youtube.com
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!