Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Charges Dropped Against Elderly Man Violently Arrested By NYPD For Jaywalking
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 10, 2014
Modified Apr 10, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 10, 2014
Modified Apr 10, 2014
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
In January, an 84-year-old man needed four staples to his head after the NYPD violently arrested him during a jaywalking stop on the Upper West Side. Kang Wong was charged with jaywalking, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct for the stop on January 19th. Cops have now dropped all charges against Wong, leaving him with the satisfying knowledge that cops detained him, scared and confused him, knocked him to the ground, and caused him to black out for no good reason.
Wong, who speaks mainly Cantonese and Spanish, told reporters previously that he believed the traffic signal was green when he started to cross the street at West 96th and Broadway, but admitted the light may have turned red by the time he reached the other side of the street. An officer then asked him for ID: “I was very puzzled and I was very scared. I had no idea why I had been stopped. I used Cantonese and said give me back my ID," Wong told the News through a translator.
The cop declined. Other officers arrived, and Wong says, "I got more scared." He claims he was pushed to the ground and knocked unconscious. When he came to, he was in handcuffs and his head was bleeding. Witnesses said the language barrier led to a lot of confusion between the officers and the elderly man, but police insisted they didn't use "excessive force."
The NYPD gave out 452 tickets for jaywalking to pedestrians during the first two months of 2014, a 900% increase from the same period in 2013. Wong is suing the city over the incident for $5 million.
Tagged
jaywalking
kang wong
nypd
pedestrian safety
police
Upper West Side
uws
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
ICE mistakenly arrested 2 men in the Bronx, then mounted cover-up, US judge rules
The Trump-appointed judge said ICE agents lied in court and falsified records to cover their tracks.
By
Arya Sundaram
Published Oct 9, 2026 at 11:05 a.m. ET
Family of Brooklyn man who died in NYPD custody asks judge for precinct video
Reginald Newkirk’s brother is seeking the names of officers and footage from the precinct as the family seeks answers about his death.
By
Charles Lane
News
Family of Brooklyn man who died in NYPD custody asks judge for precinct video
Reginald Newkirk’s brother is seeking the names of officers and footage from the precinct as the family seeks answers about his death.
By
Charles Lane
More sewer diving on the UES: 5 people seen climbing out of manhole
By
Ryan Kost
Early Addition: Are you about the 'ballhog' life?
By
Emily Nadal
Neighborhood 'zoo' of blocked driveways leads New Yorker to boot someone’s parked car
By
Carol Chen
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .