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“You’re making us look bad”: Anthony Caines beat down video trends online after NYC serial spitter dealt multiple blows over spitting at white women

A viral video showing the violent assault of Anthony Caines, the man accused of spitting on women in Williamsburg, has intensified public debate around vigilantism, safety, and social-media-driven street justice in New York City.
posted by Ashray BS
Sunday 11/30/2025 at 6:38AM EST
  • NYPD officers maintain a security cordon. (Representational Image) (Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
    NYPD officers maintain a security cordon. (Representational Image) (Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)

    A street-violence video that made the rounds online this week featuring Anthony Caines, the man who was arrested last month on charges that he spit on numerous women in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has prompted new public attention and fresh concerns about vigilantism in New York.

    Anthony Caines, who is 45, was arrested on November 13 after several women reported that a man had approached and spat into their faces while walking through Williamsburg.

    But the online discussion about the case exploded weeks later when a violent video emerged on social media showing two unidentified men attacking Caines outside a hair salon on Sixth Street.

    In the video footage taken of the attack, Caines can be seen lying in a fetal position on the ground while his attackers punch and kick him over and over again.

    Their faces are off-screen, but we can hear their voices. “Stop violating these females out here,” one man yells.

    "You’re making us look bad... F–k jail, we’re worse than jail," the pair can be heard saying.

    The film, then, shows Caines with a deep cut above his left eye and blood streaming down his face as the assailants carry on berating him.

    At one point, sounding stunned, Caines declares, “I went to jail, didn’t I?” in response to their accusations.

    What we know about the allegations against Anthony Caines as police react to the assault against him

    Some of the victims posted to Reddit about their experience and cautioning others to be aware.

    One woman even shared surveillance footage that captured the moment a man lunged at her on Bedford Avenue and Grand Street before he spat in her face.

    The NYPD then charged Caines with hate crime counts of second-degree aggravated harassment. He was freed the next day with an ankle monitor after pleading not guilty.

    Coming back to to the recent assault, it was not immediately clear from the video who the attackers were.

    The New York Police Department does not have a complaint on file about the assault, and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office has not confirmed whether it is investigating the assault.

    The resulting footage has divided viewers on the internet. Some view it as a type of vigilante retribution, a dangerous cycle driven by frustration and social-media amplification.

    Other people say the violence calls attention to sizzling tensions around public harassment and personal safety on the streets of the city.

    Authorities, however, have continued to say they are searching for more victims who may have crossed paths with Anthony Caines during his alleged spree of spitting.

    TOPICS: Anthony Caines, Brooklyn, Human Interest, New York, New York Police Department, NYPD