TIMES SQUARE, Manhattan (WABC) — A confrontation turned violent in Times Square between a group of teenagers and a tour bus ticket vendor.
Police say it started after one of the teens nearly crashed into the ticket vendor on a scooter, that’s when things escalated.
The NYPD took all of the teens and the tour bus employee into custody.
But the question is, was this an act of self-defense?
The 67-year-old employee was selling tickets for Top View Sightseeing Double Decker Tour Bus around 8:45 p.m. Thursday.
One of the teens on a scooter almost crashed into the man, sparking an argument.
Eyewitness News is told the teens surrounded the man and tried to jump him.
A friend of the man told Eyewitness News Reporter Cefaan Kim the man pulled out a small knife and stabbed the 15-year-old in the neck out of self-defense.
“He’s standing out here for like 14, 15 hours selling tickets. He’s standing. He’s minding his own business. And five, six of them walking around acting thugs middle of Times Square. Acting, no behave, no respect. And then one of them bumped him and tried to grab his jacket, you know what, I’m saying all of them around him. He’s thinking he doesn’t know what’s going on,” the tour bus ticket seller’s friend said.
Our cameras were there as police put handcuffs on four of the teens involved in this and took them into custody.
The 15-year-old who was stabbed tried to flee on a scooter but collapsed.
He was taken to Bellevue Hospital and is expected to recover.
This is an ongoing investigation, and all five teens are expected to face charges.
At this point, police have not filed any charges against the 67-year-old.
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