Los Angeles

Caught on Camera: Man Gets Sucker Punched at Metro Red Line

Authorities are investigating a video that was posted online showing a man getting sucker punched in the face Tuesday at a Hollywood Metro station.

The incident happened at around 1 p.m. at the Red Line station on Hollywood and Vine.

Lake Cunningham shot the video as he was getting home from work.

"It's sad," he said. "It's sad to see this happen to someone."

It's not clear what led up to the attack. The video shows that before the punch, the victim appears to be yelling something at the attacker. Another man stands by, watches and kicks something off the platform and then fiddles with a roller bag nearby the victim. The attacker then removes his shirt and punches the victim in the face. The victim falls to the ground and the attacker stands over him, yelling. 

Cunningham said he shared the video to his Facebook page because wants the attacker to be held accountable. He wants justice for the victim because he said he might have been elderly, homeless and had disabilities.

"You could tell he had some mental disabilities and he obviously wasn't a threat," Cunningham said. "There was no need for that kind of violence whatsoever."

Cunningham said the attacker kicked the man in the face as well, but it's not clear in the video because people are walking by and obstructing the view.

The man was bleeding and holding his teeth in his hands, Cunningham said.

"He could have easily fallen in the tracks," he said. "He could've had a concussion. He could have died there."

Cunningham called authorities and managed to snap photos of the attacker as he got on a train toward downtown. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Metro Transit services responded to the scene but the victim and attacker were gone.

Deputies are reviewing the surveillance video near the platform to see if they could identify the attacker.

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