Jonathan Kaye : Investment Banker Assault in Brooklyn Sparks Outrage

The managing director of a global investment banking firm was caught on camera punching a person in the face and knocking them down onto the street in Brooklyn, New York, the company told NBC News on Monday.

The video, which is violent and includes profanity, was posted on X on Sunday and has been viewed more than 12 million times as of Monday afternoon. In the footage, a man can be seen throwing a punch at an unidentified person’s face, causing them to collapse to the ground near another individual who appears to be struggling. The man then walks off in a different direction, defending himself to onlookers.

“She threw stuff all over me,” the man is heard saying in the video, with the back of his jacket showing signs of being splashed with liquid.

The 10-second clip does not provide context for the altercation and appears to have taken place in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Park Slope on Saturday, following the borough’s annual LGBTQ pride parade.

Company Response and Investigation

Moelis & Co., the investment banking firm, issued a statement on Sunday acknowledging that the man in the video was an employee of the company.

“We have been made aware that one of our employees was involved in a serious incident in Brooklyn on June 8,” Moelis & Co. stated. “We take this matter very seriously and are conducting an investigation.”

identified as finance executive Jonathan Kaye was recorded punching a person in Park Slope, Brooklyn, on Saturday, June 8, 2024, knocking them to the ground. (via X)”>

Moelis & Co. later confirmed with NBC News on Monday that the employee in the video was Jonathan Kaye, the managing director of the firm.

Police and Community Response

The New York City Police Department stated that while they have seen the video, no police report has been filed regarding the incident. The Brooklyn Pride Board, responsible for the borough’s Pride celebration, also released a statement confirming that the unidentified person in the video has not come forward.

“Brooklyn Pride condemns violence of any kind, and we will continue to monitor what we believe was an abhorrent incident,” the Brooklyn Pride Board said in their statement.

It remains unclear if the person who was punched in the video had participated in the LGBTQ event.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com