Crime & Safety

Stranger Punches Merrill Lynch Employee in Parking Lot

An employee of Merrill Lynch was punched in a parking lot just before he got to his office by a man who then got into a pickup truck driven by someone else and left the scene.

An employee of Merrill Lynch at 1020 Post Rd. had just gotten out of his BMW in the parking lot behind the building when a man started shouting at him, punched him and jumped on him as the victim fell to the ground.

But the man then got off the victim and got into a waiting pickup truck, which drove off.

The Merrill Lynch employee told police that he'd never seen the man before and didn't even understand what the man was shouting.

The assault was reported to police at 8:35 a.m. on Wednesday, March 12.

Initially, the 38-year-old victim heard the man yelling at him. The victim tried to ask the man what he wanted, but the man didn't say.

The victim turned away to walk toward the building when the man ran around in front of him and punched him in the eye, then got on the victim and struggled with him after he fell.

Since the victim was holding his briefcase, his knuckles were bruised on one hand. He was later taken to Stamford Hospital for treatment.

After a short time, the man got up and went into a black pickup truck with chrome bars in front. Possibly the truck was a Ford F Series. Another Merrill Lynch employee had seen the truck in the parking lot at about 8:10 a.m.

The man who threw the punches is described as having short black hair, dark skin (possibly Middle Eastern or Indian) and wearing a black hoodie sweatshirt and green, cargo-style pants.

The victim said he'd never seen the man before, or the truck.

Darien police are still investigating the incident.


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