Video: Man Throws Molotov Cocktail Into Ft. Hamilton Parkway Bodega

Still from surveillance video released by NYPD.
Still from surveillance video released by NYPD.

Police are searching for a man they say tossed a Molotov cocktail into a Fort Hamilton Parkway bodega, burning an employee early Wednesday morning.

DNAinfo reports:

The man walked into 24 Hour Minimart at 3901 Fort Hamilton Parkway at about 1:55 a.m. Wednesday and started an argument with the worker, according to the NYPD.
About an hour later he came back and threw the explosive device into the store.
The employee’s hair and jacket caught on fire, but he suffered only minor injuries.

Dramatic footage of the incident, captured by the store’s security cameras, was released by the NYPD.

The Daily News spoke with the employee after the attack, who said the man was irritated because the clerk would not give him store credit.

“I just thank God I am okay. I am very lucky I survived,” said Asif Butt, 34, an employee at 24 Hr Minimart on Fort Hamilton Pkwy. in Sunset Park.
Butt, an immigrant from Pakistan, told the Daily News he was manning the counter early Wednesday at the corner store where he has worked for nearly three years when an inebriated man came in and demanded credit.
“I said I can’t give credit because of my boss,” Butt said. “(I) no talk back. He talk mean, but he left. I thought that was it.”

The perp returned about half an hour later with the fiery cocktail and lobbed it into the shop.

Police say the suspect is between 30 and 40 years old, and between 5-foot-8-inches and 5-foot-10-inches tall. He was wearing sunglasses and a hoodie.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website, or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.