Police say the 42-year-old was wounded twice in the backside near Halsey St. and Wilson Ave.
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — A man shoveling snow on a Bushwick sidewalk was stabbed twice in the backside before 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to police and relatives. The attack happened near Halsey Street and Wilson Avenue, and the assailant fled.
Authorities said the 42-year-old victim was taken to a hospital and listed in stable condition. The case drew attention as crews and neighbors dug out after this week’s snow. Detectives were still working Thursday to learn what led to the stabbing and who was involved. Relatives said the man had been hired by a woman on the block to help clear snow, underscoring how routine winter work turned into a midafternoon crime scene with blood on the sidewalk and police tape across the corner.
Police said the stabbing occurred shortly before 1:30 p.m. on the Bushwick corner as the man was clearing a path. A cousin who asked not to be named said he was inside a nearby deli when the victim rushed in and told him, “Call the ambulance for me, someone stabbed me.” The cousin said he helped apply pressure to the wounds while another customer called 911. “Too much blood, he lost a lot of blood,” the cousin said. Officers and medics arrived minutes later as curious neighbors stepped outside to watch. The attacker ran off before first responders got there, police said.
Investigators said the victim was stabbed with an unknown object and struck twice in the backside. Detectives canvassed for camera footage on Halsey Street and Wilson Avenue and took statements from several witnesses, including relatives and the woman who had asked the man to shovel. Police did not immediately release the victim’s name because family members asked for privacy. No arrests were announced by late Thursday. Detectives were also checking for other incidents nearby around the same time but had not linked the case to another crime. The exact motive remained unclear, and police said it was unknown whether the attacker knew the victim.
Bushwick has seen sporadic knife assaults in recent years, often clustered on busy corners near bodegas and transit stops. Wednesday’s attack happened as many residents dug out vehicles and stoops after the snowfall. Neighbors said Halsey Street near Wilson Avenue is a busy stretch in the afternoon, with delivery trucks and foot traffic from the J and L lines several blocks away. Past winter storms have brought disputes over parking spots and shoveled paths across the borough, but police emphasized they had not established any dispute in this case and were treating it as an isolated stabbing until more evidence emerges.
Police said the investigation includes reviewing nearby security cameras, checking hospital notifications for similar injuries, and searching for the weapon. Detectives planned to re-interview the victim once doctors allowed longer questioning and to follow up on tips from the canvass. If an arrest is made, charges could include felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Officials said investigators would update the case file after reviewing video and lab work. Any formal briefing could come if an arrest is made or if surveillance images are released with a request for the public’s help.
By late afternoon, the snow was tracked with boot prints around a taped-off patch of sidewalk. Brownstone stoops were half-cleared, and salt crunched underfoot as a steady wind blew down Halsey Street. A deli worker set a bucket of hot water by the door while officers photographed the scene. “He was just trying to make a few dollars clearing snow,” the cousin said, adding that relatives were headed to the hospital. A passerby shook his head at the corner and said, “Crazy day for this block,” before turning back toward Wilson Avenue.
As of Thursday evening, the man remained in stable condition and detectives had not announced an arrest. Police said the next update would come after additional witness interviews and a review of surveillance video later this week.
Author note: Last updated February 3, 2026.