NEW YORK – A man with a violent past lashed out with a machete in a popular midtown Manhattan park during the Tuesday lunch hour, wounding a woman in an apparently unprovoked attack, police said.
The woman suffered an arm injury in the slashing, which occurred around 11:30 a.m. in Bryant Park. She was taken to a hospital, but her injuries were not considered life-threatening.
The suspect was taken into custody. He has 23 prior arrests, including one in 2010 for menacing with a machete, said Robert Boyce, chief of detectives.
Park security officers chased the man after the attack, flagging down NYPD officers nearby who were putting up barriers.
The park quickly got back to its normal bustle after the arrest.
Bryant Park — the former home of New York Fashion Week — has seen violence before.
A November 2013 shooting at its ice rink injured two people, including a 14-year-old, and sent skaters stampeding to safety. A 16-year-old was arrested and has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder.
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