The term ‘Amiri’ is trending on Twitter on Thursday after footage of a man attacking a New York City bodega worker went viral.
According to the New York Post, Austin Simon, who can be seen wearing an Amiri t-shirt in security footage of the incident, allegedly attacked 51-year-old Jose Alba after he attempted to purchase a bag of chips at the Manhattan bodega. Simon tried using his girlfriend’s EBT card to pay for the items, which reportedly declined, and resulted in a “verbal dispute.”
The verbal altercation quickly turned physical, and Alba reportedly stabbed the man in self-defense. Unfortunately, 34-year-old Simon died as a result.
Alba is currently being held in New York’s notorious jail, Rikers Island, on a second-degree murder charge. According to Fox News, Alba, who has no prior criminal history, is unable to post his $250,000 bail stemming from the incident. Alba’s daughter spoke to his character in a statement to the New York Post.
It was either him or the guy at the moment. He’s never hurt anybody. He’s never had an altercation where he had to defend himself. This is the first time for him.”
Alba’s attorney Michelle Villasenor-Grant doubled down on the notion that he was defending himself during his arraignment on Saturday. According to Grant, Simon’s girlfriend was also involved in the incident and allegedly pulled out a knife of her own.
It would not be that surprising that someone thinks that harm is going to come to them or that they are going to be robbed, particularly if the woman that you just got into a verbal argument with is also with this person, and ended up taking her own knife out of a purse and stabbing my client.”
A spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office told Fox News that the investigation is ongoing.
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