A New York man is wanted by the NYPD for brutally shoving an 81-year-old man to the ground on Christmas. The older man was taking his dog out for a walk and having a conversation with someone in Yorkville on Manhattan's Upper East Side when a man, wearing jeans and a gray zip-up jacket, suddenly shoved him to the ground. The NYPD is now offering a $3,500 award for anyone with information The suspect is seen on surveillance video stalking down 86th Street near Henderson Place around 12.30am. The victim's dog, wearing a light-colored winter coat, warily begins to move behind his owner's legs. Noticing the dog's distress, the victim moves toward the person he's speaking with to clear the way. The suspect, however, steps between the pair, and man throws a forceful arm toward the man's face. The victim stumbles backward before slamming harshly into the ground on his side. He then rolls onto his stomach. An unidentified man shoved an 81-year-old man to the ground on Christmas in Yorkville on Manhattan's Upper East Side around 12.30am He shoved the man to the ground (pictured) and kept walking afterward The older man tried to get out of the way, despite the large amount of space on the sidewalk, but the thug pushes between the two before slamming his arm into the man's face, causing him to fall The suspect keeps walking, slowing down only to flip off the victim. The other person, whose gender was not disclosed by police, immediately goes to help the 81-year-old up then the video cuts off. It is unclear if the older man sustained any injuries or needed medical assistance. The NYPD has been dealing with an increasing number of felony assaults as the crime spree across the city hasn't stopped. They are up 7.7 per cent in New York City, with overall crime hitting a stunning 35 per cent as the new year rolls in. Manhattan's DA Alvin Bragg's controversial decision to downgrade burglary, armed robbery and drug dealings from felonies to misdemeanors has drawn criticism, as it has led to many criminals being let back out on the streets. Drug dealers will also not be prosecuted unless they commit other crimes in addition, and 'prison should be the last resort.' The attacker, who can be seen wearing jeans and gray zip-up, only looked back once to flip off the man off. The NYPD is now offering a $3,500 reward to anyone who has information on the case On Saturday, a woman was pushed to her death in a Times Square subway station by a schizophrenic man, 61. On Tuesday, three women were left scared standing on the wrong side of the turnstile until the train arrived in the 23rd Street station after a 'deranged' man was pacing the platform screaming. Critics are now calling it an 'open season on crime' in Manhattan and even New York City Mayor Eric Adams, 61, has admitted that he does not feel safe on the subway - a system that millions of New Yorkers rely on daily. 'Alvin Bragg's memo to his staff specifying his prosecution policy will result in more crime and increased shootings,' Detectives Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo said on January 12. 'Where there are drugs, there are guns. DA Bragg has made himself the police, the judge and the jury.' Curtis Sliwa, the Republican mayoral candidate who lost to Adams by a landslide, told DailyMail.com on January 12: 'It's an advertisement for criminals. Come to Manhattan.' 'Random acts of violence, like the 81-year-old man being shoved, have been rising since the start of the pandemic,' he said on Newsweek earlier. NYC has seen a huge increase in crime in the last year, with overall crime being up 35 per cent and felony assaults up 7.7 per cent 'That means smash and grabs, that means shoplifting, armed robbery, somebody can put a gun to your head as a tourist and guess what, he gets a desk appearance ticket. Rape, robbery, and grand larceny are also up in the Big Apple at 15.8, 25.1, and 61.7 per cents, respectively. However, the biggest increases have transit, robbery and felony assaults, at 65, 25, and 7.7 per cents, respectively. All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility