NYC landlord arrested for defending himself against homeless man with bat shares his ordeal

A New York City landlord who was arrested and charged with assault after defending himself against a homeless man wielding a wooden bat has shared his ordeal after spending 20 hours in jail lock-up. 

Brian Chin, 32, of Manhattan, was arraigned on second and third-degree assault charges in Manhattan Criminal Court, after being accused of beating a homeless man. He says the charges are uncalled for.  

Surveillance footage from outside of Chin's apartment building on Chrystie Street in the Lower East Side shows the landlord trying to help the man, who is believed to have been under the influence, outside of the Grand Street subway station. 

The man woke up, went ballistic and attacked him with a piece of plywood that had nails in it. Chin eventually saw a moment to charge at the man, grabbing the wood with both hands and tugging it out of his grasp. 

But when police eventually showed up, he was arrested and whisked off to jail. 

Now, he says he's been driven out of his Harvard fellowship program.  

Brian Chin, 32, of Manhattan, was arraigned on second and third-degree assault charges in Manhattan Criminal Court, after being accused of beating a homeless man - but he says the charges are uncalled for 

Surveillance footage caught outside of Chin's apartment building on Chrystie Street in the Lower East Side shows the landlord trying to help the man, who is believed to have been under the influence, outside of the Grand Street subway station

He says the charges are unwarranted, and that the NYPD is targeting the wrong man. 

In video of the attack, obtained by DailyMail.com, the man was seen banging a chair around, the pieces flying all over the street. 

Eventually, the man gets back up and is seen heavily leaning over newspaper boxes while the NYPD investigates the situation. He eventually knocks one of the boxes over, which sends him flying back into the subway gate and injuring his head in front of officers. 

Chin, who is known in the community to help those in need, told DailyMail.com that it took more than an hour for police to arrive at the scene.  

Chin later gets arrested and charged on Saturday after voluntarily going to the 5th Precinct.

He was taken to Central Booking, where he sat for 20 hours, he told DailyMail.com. 

The man wakes up and goes ballistic, grabbing a piece of plywood with nails in it and starts swinging at Chin, the footage, obtained by DailyMail.com, shows

Eventually, the man gets back up and is seen heavily leaning over newspaper boxes while the NYPD investigates the situation

He did not have enough money to afford a private attorney and had to wait for his arraignment at 9:30 am in order to be released on his own recognizance. 

He has given police the surveillance footage, hoping the DA's Office will see that he was defending him, he told DailyMail.com. 

Chin said had recognized the homeless man as he has seen him panhandling in the Grand Street station before. 

The homeless man eventually knocks one of the boxes over, which sends him flying back into the subway gate and injuring his head in front of officers (pictured: his blood on the subway gate)

He sustained a eight to nine-inch gash on his head from his fall 

Chin is known in the neighborhood to help those in need 

Chin is due back in court on October 10.  

In 2022, one of his tenants, Christina Yuna Lee, 35, was knifed to death after a man followed her into the apartment building. 

Assamad Nash, 27, followed her into the building where he stabbed her more than 40 times. Authorities said he was mentally ill and he pleaded guilty to his crimes.