An off-duty school crossing guard was punched in broad daylight Wednesday afternoon in the Concourse section of the Bronx, police said, adding one more unsettling incident to an already tense week around P.S./I.S. 218 Rafael Hernandez Dual Language School.
The 47-year-old man was attacked near East 167th Street and Gerard Avenue, right outside the school, according to the NYPD. The assailant took off running and had not been caught as of late Wednesday, police said.
Police say attacker ran off, victim turns down medical help
According to PIX11, investigators believe the attacker is a man in his 30s who walked up, punched the off-duty guard, then bolted from the scene before officers arrived.
The crossing guard refused medical treatment at the location, the NYPD told the outlet. Police are asking anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477).
School already rattled by separate stabbing
The punch did not happen in a vacuum. P.S./I.S. 218 was already on edge this week after a student was stabbed inside the building in a separate incident that drew an NYPD response, according to a 12-year-old boy stabbed inside. That earlier case has stirred fresh worries among parents and neighbors about safety in and around the Gerard Avenue campus.
Crossing guards deal with daily danger
The confrontation also highlights what advocates say is a risky job that too often flies under the radar. Reporting by Streetsblog found that dozens of New York City school crossing guards have been injured by drivers over the past decade and warned that staffing shortages leave some intersections uncovered.
Local street safety advocates have pointed to those shortages, along with street design problems, as part of a larger conversation about how to better protect students and the workers who shepherd them through busy crossings.
Cops canvass the block, seek video and tips
Police said no arrests had been made as of Wednesday night and that officers were canvassing the area for witnesses and security footage, the department told PIX11.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen the attack or captured it on video to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS or submit tips online to help move the case forward.
