When 54-year-old James (last name withheld) fell backward on 125th Street and Lexington Avenue in Harlem, his eyes rolled into the back of his head, he made a few short gurgling noises — the tell-tale signs of an apparent overdose.
Yet nobody on the busy intersection on the morning of April 25 seemed to care — if anything, they seemed more aggravated by his condition tainting their morning commutes.
Minutes earlier, James sat with his back against a vacant storefront and cried out in agony as another man laughed at James who was clearly suffering from substance abuse issues. Kicking him with his shoe, the man chuckled once more before continuing on his way.