A man faces two counts of assault after punching a Tampa Bay Lightning fan on Thursday night, before punching a witness who tried to intervene. The video of the assault quickly went viral on Twitter.
Posted at 3:45 p.m.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) arrested 29-year-old James Anastasio on Friday.
In a statement released Friday, Madison Square Garden announced that the assailant will be banned for life from the arena and other sites belonging to the MSG group.
Video of the brutal punch, which quickly garnered more than 3.7 million views on Twitter, shows a Rangers fan attacking an opposing team supporter as they walked out of Madison Square Garden after the loss Rangers.
Other people stopped to help the man lying on the ground, completely unconscious, while others set off in pursuit of the suspect.
According to NYPD reports, someone who tried to stop the assailant from fleeing the scene was also punched in the face, but it slowed the assailant down enough for police to arrest him.
The first victim is said to be in stable condition in hospital while the second victim is said to have refused any medical treatment.