MANHATTAN — An doctor's office employee was stabbed in the stomach by a patient at a third-floor medical facility across the street from Radio City Music Hall in Midtown Wednesday morning, sources said.
The 51-year-old victim, whose name was not immediately released, was attacked by the 25-year-old man, who sources described as emotionally disturbed, on the third floor of ColumbiaDoctors Midtown at 51 W. 51st St., near Sixth Avenue, about 10:30 a.m., sources said.
People in the waiting room overheard people screaming "Hurry up! There's someone throwing furniture!" and "Evacuate, Evacuate, he's got a knife!"
The man, who sources said is an outpatient at the facility, then calmly walked through the waiting area, a knife clutched at his stomach with both hands, toward a stairwell, according to Elyce Ponte, 55, who was with a friend getting a bone marrow biopsy.
"He looked like he was on a mission," Ponte said.
Another woman, who didn't notice the knife-wielding suspect, stepped into the stairwell just before him, Ponte said.
"'Ma'am, that's the guy that's got the knife,'" Ponte told the woman.
"She turned around and started screaming. He walked right around her and continued down the stairs," Ponte added.
The victim was treated at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, the FDNY said. His condition did not appear life threatening, officials said.
The suspect, whose name was not immediately released, was arrested shortly afterwards, sources said.
The NYPD did not provide further information.
"We are grateful to all the first-responders to this unfortunate event, including the FDNY and NYPD, and wish our staff member a quick recovery," a ColumbiaDoctors spokeswoman said.
