It turns out the entire episode started from a beef over small aisle space.
The customer’s nightmare unfolded innocently enough as he was standing at the counter paying for some items just after midnight on Jan. 6. The shopper, a white man wearing a white coat, suddenly gets walloped by a black man in a dark vest and gray hoodie. Thanks to the deli’s security cameras, police now have a fairly clear picture of the assailant as the entire sordid affair was captured from several angles.
The victim may have known he was in danger, but had no idea the punch was coming. A group of men circle him by the counter and he appears to be a victim of verbal taunting. The real pain comes shortly after as the assailant launches a fierce punch that knocks the victim clear out of the camera’s view.
In the meantime, police say thanks to the multitude of surveillance cameras and angles in the deli they are very confident they will be able to find who they are looking for because someone out there has to recognize the assailant.