A Brooklyn man gets jail time for a knife attack

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Brooklyn, NY- A Bushwick man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for slashing a stranger with a knife and attacking a bystander who tried to intervene, according to an announcement from Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.

The defendant, Michael Ruiz, 46, was sentenced Friday by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Laura Johnson. He was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, with three years of post-release supervision. Ruiz was convicted of second-degree assault and third-degree attempted assault on August 19 after a jury trial.

The incident occurred on June 28, 2022 at approximately 2:15 a.m. on Berry Street in Greenpoint. The 39-year-old victim was talking on the phone outside his apartment when Ruiz, a stranger, threatened him. Ruiz left to retrieve a knife from his car and continued to threaten the victim upon return.

A bystander who tried to intervene was punched by Ruiz, who then kicked the original victim to the ground and cut him with the knife. The victim suffered injuries including a broken eye socket and a laceration to the arm, which required 15 stitches. Ruiz was arrested on October 6, 2022