NYU student slapped from behind, thrown to ground in random attack caught on video

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NYU student slapped from behind, thrown to ground in random attack caught on video

Amelia Lewis says her alleged attacker has done the same thing to other girls

Ashley Carnahan Fox News

Published

December 2, 2025 2:13pm EST

Video

NYU student allegedly assaulted on way to class, video shows

Surveillance footage captures a man following and shoving student Amelia Lewis to the ground. (Credit: X/ Amelia Lewis)

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A New York University (NYU) college student was allegedly assaulted on the way to class in a shocking surveillance video.

Amelia Lewis recounted the incident Monday in two videos posted to her social media account, describing how a man followed her across the street as she was walking down Broadway before slapping her from behind.

"When I turned around, I saw this old, White guy and, like right when I turned around, he like grabbed my f---- hair like this and like yanked me and threw me to the ground," said Lewis.

A group of girls is then seen in the footage helping her up after she was knocked off her feet.

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A photo of an alleged assault in New York City.

NYU student Amelia Lewis was allegedly assaulted on her way to class. (Screenshot: X/Amelia Lewis)

Lewis said the surveillance video was obtained by a friend of hers from a nearby liquor store. She described the assailant as a tall man with long brown hair and a long brown beard, wearing gray sweatpants, a black puffer jacket and a blue towel around his neck.

The college student said she sent the video to NYU security, who said they were forwarding the footage to police.

"I just really want to emphasize how not OK this is. I am a student at NYU. I should not be scared to be walking the street to go to my 9:30 a.m. class. These people are disgusting, and they should not be able to be walking around the street freely targeting girls and doing this. Cause I heard that this guy did this a month ago," Lewis said in the video.

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View of university buildings and street activity in Greenwich Village on a summer day.

New York University’s campus buildings are seen in Greenwich Village, New York City, on July 7, 2024. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

"I'm honestly still in shock, but I'm more enraged that things like this are able to happen in this city and we really need to do something about it because this is unacceptable," she continued. "This just shows that you really need to reflect on who you're voting for and supporting right now because New York needs help, and we're just not getting the help we need, and this is crazy."

The NYPD did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the status of the suspect or the complaint.

New York City skyline with Empire State Building in the center

The Empire State Building towers above other largely empty office buildings on March 4, 2021, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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Lewis warned other women at the university to be careful and aware while walking around the city.

"That was honestly like the scariest experience of my life," she said. "I never thought this was going to happen to me just cuz I've seen the stories, and I was like, oh that's so scary, but having it actually happen now, it's like oh my god."

Ashley Carnahan is a writer at Fox News Digital.

NYU student slapped from behind, thrown to ground in random attack caught on video