The suspect in the stabbing of Sir Salman Rushdie has been charged with attempted murder, as new footage shows the aftermath of the assault.
The video shows the chaotic minutes after the attack in Chautauqua, New York on Friday that seriously injured the 75-year-old author.
The alleged attacker, 24-year-old Hadi Matar, is restrained and pinned to the ground as people rush to help Sir Salman.
Writer it stays on a fan and can lose an eyesaid his agent, Andrew Wylie.
He also suffered from nerves in his arm and liver damage.
Hadi Matar is being held outside the Chautauqua institute. Photo: AP
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Moderator Henry Reese also suffered mild head trauma after being assaulted, officers said.
The motive for the attack is not yet known, but police believe the suspect acted alone.
“The individual responsible for the attack, Hadi Matar, was formally charged with attempted second degree murder and second degree assault,” said Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt.
Both state and federal authorities are considering whether additional costs should be added, Schmidt said.
According to NBC News, which quoted a law enforcement official with direct knowledge of the investigation, a preliminary social media review of Matar showed that he had sympathies for Shiite extremism and the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Police blocked the area around Hadi Matar’s home in Fairview, New Jersey on Friday. Image: AP
Sir Salman was introduced to the public before giving a lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York when a man stormed the stage and stabbed or punched him 10 to 15 times, according to witnesses.
The author was taken to the hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania by helicopter.
He was forced into hiding for years and received death threats after the publication of his book The Satanic Verses in 1988.
He was about to give a speech on freedom of expression and the United States as a safe haven for writers.
Sir Salman lives in New York City and became a US citizen in 2016.
