Nurse assaulted on Madrid Metro after asking another passenger to wear a face mask

The National Police in Madrid have opened an investigation after an assault occurred on the Metro de Madrid transportation system. A male nurse was punched in the face, an incident that was caught on video, after he reprimanded another passenger on a train for not wearing a face mask. The assault took place at around 10pm on Thursday night in the station of Alto del Arenal, which is on Line 1 of the city’s underground system, in the Puente de Vallecas neighborhood, sources from the company confirmed. The alleged assailant left the train after shouting at the victim: “I hope you die, asshole.”

In the cellphone recording of the incident, the man is seen landing a heavy blow on the nurse after the disagreement about wearing a mask, which is obligatory on the Metro. The assailant, dressed in black, wearing shorts and a pink hat, and carrying a backpack, is seen to punch the other man in the eye. The victim was wearing sunglasses, which caused serious injuries to one of his eyes. The nurse is seen to fall to the ground and raise his hands up to his face. The aggressor then leaves the train as it pulls into the station.

Security guards attended the scene, who then called for medical assistance. After the victim was stabilized, he was taken to hospital in a serious condition. He received treatment for serious injuries to his eye. Sources from the hospital confirmed to EL PAÍS that the man was a healthcare professional, that he was injured in his eye and that he was discharged several hours later.

The assault was also recorded on the CCTV system that is installed on Metro trains. The recording has been passed on to the authorities in the hope that the assailant can be located and arrested, according to a spokesperson from Metro de Madrid. The National Police has asked the public for their assistance to locate the man.

English version by Simon Hunter.