The NYPD released an image of the alleged assailant who ripped a kippah from the head of a Jewish man. Photo: NYPD Hate Crimes Unit

Police in New York City are searching for a man who ripped a kippah off the head of an unsuspecting passerby before subjecting his victim to an antisemitic insult.

The NYPD Hate Crimes Unit reported that the incident took place on Thursday afternoon in downtown Manhattan. The 34-year-old victim was at the junction of Broadway and West 3rd Street when the assailant tore his kippah off his head. When the victim demanded the return of his kippah, the assailant threw it back accompanied by an antisemitic insult.

A photograph of the alleged assailant showed an African-American male clad entirely in black and wearing dark sunglasses. Police confirmed that neither the assailant nor the victim were known to each other prior to the incident.

Among those who condemned the attack was the outgoing Mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio.

“Just absolutely infuriating. Get the message: if you commit an act of antisemitism in our city you will face the consequences,” de Blasio tweeted alongside an image of the suspect. “If you have any information on this disgusting act, contact the NYPD immediately.”

According to the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Unit, there have been 144 antisemitic acts recorded during 2021, amid rising hate crime targeting minorities in the city, particularly the Asian-American community.