Kang Chun Wong, the 84-year-old Chinese man who was bloodied and knocked unconscious during a run-in with the NYPD for jaywalking in January, filed a $5 million lawsuit against the city today. “His memory has deteriorated since the incident,” said his son, Wei Wong, who has some incentive to say so. And yet it’s hard to imagine this one ending without an “I’m sorry” from the NYPD in the form of five or six zeroes.
The elder Wong was crossing the street at West 96th Street and Broadway, an intersection known for accidents, during an unofficial crackdown on out-of-control pedestrians. When he attempted to walk away from the officer who stopped him — Wong doesn’t speak English — he was thrown against a wall by multiple cops, fell, and hit his head. He was then charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, although the NYPD wisely declined to prosecute. Because … he’s 84 and they beat him up.
“He’s still traumatized,” Wei Wong told the Daily News. “Just crossing the street, he’s afraid of cops coming up from behind and arresting him. He won’t cross even if the crosswalk signal is blinking because of what occurred. He’s terrified, in fact.” Soon enough, he’ll be able to pay someone to go outside for him.
