A 33-year-old man with autism died Friday after a confrontation with an employee outside a disability services center in Harlem, according to sources.
The man allegedly attacked a 54-year-old female staff member at Quality Services for the Autism Community (QSAC) on East 129th Street shortly before 5:45 p.m., sources said.
Police said officers found him unconscious when they arrived. Staff members at the center had restrained him before police got there, according to authorities.
Emergency medical workers rushed the man to Harlem Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.
The staff member was also transported to a hospital and was listed in stable condition.
Authorities have not said what led to the confrontation.
QSAC operates sites across New York City and is a nonprofit organization that provides support services to children and adults with autism.
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The man’s name was being withheld pending notification of his family.
The city Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause of death.
A center employee who declined to give her name told The Post that the facility is a residential home for people with autism “and other similar disorders.” Another staff member said eight people live there.
A neighbor said the center is generally calm, describing an environment where “nothing menacing or angry” typically occurs and staff members appear to keep situations under control.
“Sometimes people are outside talking to themselves and maybe talking to others,” said the resident, who declined to provide his name.
“I hear them talking loud and yelling, but there’s usually someone along with them and they seem to do a pretty good job of keeping them calm.”
“I mean, I have seen ambulances outside. They do come often,” he added.
A representative from the state Attorney General’s Office was seen at the Harlem facility late Friday night. Sources confirmed that the office is investigating the incident.
