Kindra Hall NYC social media influencer gets knocked by Yao Reed while walking along Manhattan’s Upper East Side only for victim to plead with NYPD to track perpetrator and have him arrested as social media weighs in.
Security surveillance video has showed the moment a ‘glamorous’ New York social media influencer was punched in the head and knocked to the ground in an unprovoked attack by a stranger. Making matters worse was responding police’s reluctance to track the man down, let alone make an arrest, even after the victim pointed out the alleged perpetrator.
Kindra Hall, 44, said she was walking to work along a sidewalk on Manhattan’s Upper East Side circa 10.30 a.m. on May 14 when she ‘realized something wasn’t right.’
In the clip, a man sporting a dark blue hooded jacket, since identified as 43-year-old perp, Yao Reed, barreled towards Hall with an outstretched arm, striking her in the face, causing her to trip over a tree guard and crashing on to the concrete.
JUST IN: Man RANDOMLY punches woman in the head then taunts her to follow him saying ‘so I can slit your throat’ — she says NYC police refused to help
Kindra Hall was randomly hit in the head by a man walking in the opposite direction
She filmed him as he walked away and… pic.twitter.com/7FLtW2TabK
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) May 22, 2025
NYC social media influencer pleads for cops to assist
Hall posted footage of the incident to her 66,000 Instagram followers (handle: @kindrahall) on Wednesday, captioning it, ‘My walk to work this morning.’
The influencer said she left the scene with a headache and a swollen jaw and ear. A week later, Hall said on her Instagram story that she had some ‘gnarly bruising’ on the back of her legs from her fall.
‘I wasn’t on my phone when it happened. I wasn’t distracted. It wasn’t an unsafe hour,’ she said. ‘I even made note of the guy when I saw him, but it wasn’t until I saw a strange flick in his hand… that I realized something wasn’t right.’
A Good Samaritan rushed to Hall’s attention as she dusted herself off and got back on her feet as she filmed her attacker as he nonchalantly walked along in front of her.
‘Hey, you want to know what my address is?’ the man turns around and says to the bewildered Hall, before shouting: ‘211.’ The attacker then taunted further: ‘Want to marry me so I can slit your throat?’
It wasn’t until another 30 minutes before NYPD officers arrived to the scene after Hall calling 911.
According to Hall, NYPD officers were initially reluctant to pursue the attacker until she explained she had a headache. Officers agreed to go to the address shouted at Hall by the assailant, under one condition: that Hall go with them.
‘I can’t describe how terrifying that was. Maybe they were hoping I’d refuse and give up?,’ Hall added.
Accompanied by cops, Hall found the man near 211 East 81st Street, next to a salon called Willy’s Hair Styling – the address the alleged perp had shouted at her.
‘I am so grateful it wasn’t worse,’
Hall filmed the attacker being detained in handcuffs beside two officers in police uniform, while a third person was next to them in civilian clothes.
‘You wanna die,’ the perpetrator said to one officer. ‘Shall I incinerate you?’ he added before being thrust into the wall by one of the cops.
Reed was taken into custody after several more officers came as back-up.
But there’s more.
Hall said it wasn’t the police who recovered the security footage of the assailant, but her husband, Michael. She said he went into a nearby nail salon and obtained the footage in ‘five minutes.’
‘I am so grateful it wasn’t worse,’ Hall reflected. ‘I’m grateful it was me and not someone who couldn’t take the hit or the fall. I’m hopeful the man gets the help and services he clearly needs.’
Reed was charged with third-degree assault.
NYPD officials have since told the nypost that at the time of the assault, officers in the area were responding to multiple ‘high-priority’ calls — including shots fired.
And then there were these comments below on the web that caught this author’s attention. See what you think?
‘She is the type that is anti police but when something happens to her, then she wants the police to help her. it is my understanding that you must identify the individual by conducting a show up unless there is a reason not to do it. If you don’t complain about pain, then it’s just a harassment. Nothing else can be done about it. Let see if this does goes to trial if she is willing to go to court. I have a feeling she is going to back out.’
‘I’m hopeful the man gets the help and services he clearly needs.” That’s the problem. Let’s take the time and energy to arrest, then let’s try and figure out what’s wrong with him. Can’t have it both ways. He simply needs to be permanently separated from civil society.’
‘She probably voted for the people that are in office now so this is what you get. She will probably vote for the same type of politician in the next election and then complain about it again. The lawlessness that is going on in the city belongs to the voters.’
