Man Sentenced For Greenpoint Knife Attack: District Attorney

BROOKLYN, NY — A man from Bushwick has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison for attacking a stranger and the bystander who tried to intervene in Greenpoint, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said.

According to Gonzalez, Michael Ruiz, 46, approached a 39-year-old man on Berry Street and threatened to kill him with a knife in June 2022, saying, "I own this block."

When a bystander intervened, Ruiz punched the bystander in the face and then kicked the 39-year-old to the ground, repeatedly kicking his face and slashing him across the arm with a knife, Gonzalez said.

The victim was treated for a fractured orbital bone, cuts under his eye and a deep cut across his arm that required 15 stitches, Gonzalez said.

“Keeping the people of Brooklyn safe is my highest priority, and violent offenders such as this defendant will face serious consequences. Today’s sentence holds him accountable for a random and vicious assault," Gonzalez said.

Ruiz was convicted of second-degree assault and third-degree attempted assault. After his prison sentence is done, he will have three years of post-release supervision, Gonzalez said.