Doormen Who Stood by During Racist Attack Fired

They failed to intervene during anti-Asian attack outside Manhattan building
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 6, 2021 4:37 PM CDT
Doormen Who Stood by During Racist Attack Fired
The failure to intervene was widely criticized after video of the attack was released.   (YouTube)

Two New York City doormen who stood by while a Filipino-American woman was brutally attacked outside their building are out of a job. The Brodsky Organization, which owns the luxury Manhattan apartment building, told residents in an email Tuesday that its investigation has concluded and the men's "employment has been terminated, effective immediately," the New York Times reports. Video of the March 29 attack shows the doormen failing to intervene as an attacker identified by police as Brandon Elliot kicks 65-year-old Vilma Kari to the ground and stomps on her while shouting anti-Asian remarks. One of the workers closed the building door while she lay injured on the sidewalk.

"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," Brodsky said in its email to residents, per the AP. The doormen's union has said they did not get involved until the attacker walked away because they were worried he might have a knife. Brodsky said it is "extremely distraught and shocked by this incident" and will give all of its building services employees training on anti-bias awareness and bystander intervention. (Elliot, who was on parole for the 2002 murder of his mother, faces assault and hate crime charges.)

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