A Vancouver poet and UBC professor says bystanders turned and walked away while he was assaulted in broad daylight on the streets of Vancouver.

Ray Hsu says he was the victim of an attack near the intersection of Main Street and King Edward Avenue on Thursday.

A bystander's video of part of the alleged incident, which Hsu says occurred around 1 p.m., shows Hsu being held by another man before being swung around and then punched.

"I felt someone shove me, shove my shoulder. The man walked off the bus and I got off too and got the sense that just in case anything happened, maybe I should take a picture," he told On The Coast guest host Gloria Macarenko.

"I took a picture of him and he noticed me taking the picture and he took the phone out of my hand and punched me in the face. I fell down. I was calling for help and I stood up and he punched me and he punched me several times.

"I called for help. There were people around but I remember people turning away and people walking away."

Police investigating

Hsu says no one in the area bothered to intervene or called 911 as the incident unfolded. Some people did come to his aid after the incident ended, he said, and he was given the video of the incident by one bystander.

A statement from the Vancouver Police Department says words were exchanged between Hsu and the other person allegedly involved before the incident but Hsu says words were only exchanged during the altercation.

UBC professor Ray Hsu alleges he was attacked for no reason at Main Street and King Edward Avenue in Vancouver. 0:17

Police say Hsu suffered minor injuries and was treated by first responders.

"Police are reviewing images of the incident from a number of sources, and the investigation is ongoing," the statement read. "The suspect has not yet been arrested, and investigators are encouraging him to contact police to share his side of the incident."

'I can hope that I would jump in'

Hsu posted an image of the man he alleges attacked him as well as the bystander's video online, and says the positive response from people who've seen and shared the material has been reassuring.

When asked if he himself is confident he would intervene or call 911 if he were a bystander in a similar situation, Hsu admits it's hard to say.

"I can hope that I would jump in, either to intervene or call 911, and I can hope, having gone through this experience myself, that maybe I would be more likely to act," he said.

"But maybe people are afraid. Maybe they start to question themselves and wonder, 'do I know enough about the context in order to jump in or do anything?' And maybe that's what freezes people."

Hsu says he hopes by telling his story, people will think about their roles as bystanders.

With files from CBC Radio One's On The Coast

To hear the full story, click the audio labelled: Vancouver poet, professor says people walked away while he was allegedly assaulted