Actress Spencer Grammer says she was trying to calm an agitated man when he slashed her in the arm and stabbed her friend in the back Friday outside a New York City restaurant. Grammer, 36, told US Weekly that she and her friend were trying to "prevent the altercation from escalating" when they were attacked.
Grammer and her 32-year-old friend were eating at an outside table at The Black Ant in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood around 11:30 p.m. Friday when the man ambled up and demanded to be served as the restaurant was closing down.
"My friend and I did what anyone else would do in the same situation. Several others, predominantly women, were also attempting to prevent the altercation from escalating," Grammer told Us Weekly.
Grammer and her friend were hurt as they "attempted to break up a dispute between the unidentified male and other patrons at the location," police said.
The man ran away after wounding Grammer in the right arm and her friend in the lower back with an unknown sharp object, police said. No arrests have been made.
Police posted a video on Twitter that shows a man they are seeking in connection with this incident.
Grammer, who provides the voice of Summer on "Rick and Morty" and previously starred on the ABC Family series "Greek," is the daughter of "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer and actress Doreen Alderman.
Spencer Grammer attends the LA screening of Fox Searchlight's "Ready Or Not" at ArcLight Culver City on August 19, 2019 in Culver City, California.
Rich Fury via Getty Images
Grammer said she and her friend both expect to recover quickly. Neither suffered serious internal injuries, she said.
In her statement to Us Weekly, Grammer thanked the first responders and Bellevue Hospital staff that treated them and noted the "incredible battle" those workers have fought against the coronavirus pandemic.
"It was very moving for us to have the opportunity to thank them in person," Grammer said.
Bill Raymond has lived for 40 years in the building above the restaurant where the incident took place.
"There's a lot of incidents that are happening around here," he told CBS New York.
He said crime in the area has skyrocketed in the last few months. He blames a surge in drug use.
"It was like Beverly Hills for a while. Now it's getting rough again," he said.