NEW YORK - A woman was in critical condition after her husband hacked her with a meat cleaver on a busy street in New York City's Chinatown before being restrained by firefighters from the neighboring firehouse, police said on Monday.

Security camera video showed the man, identified by police as Ming Guang Huang, 28, attacking his wife on the sidewalk on Sunday until he was pinned to a wall by two firefighters who happened to witness the event.

Police arrested Huang and charged him with attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon and harassment, while his wife was taken to hospital in critical condition.

"Firefighters saw what looked to be a man pulling and dragging a woman down the street, shoving her and pushing her," said Frank Dwyer, a fire department spokesman.

As firefighters intervened, Huang pulled out a meat cleaver and hacked at his wife's head and torso, Dwyer said. As they tackled Huang, the wife fled, leaving her shoes behind on the sidewalk. A third firefighter followed her and found her in a restaurant, where he administered first aid.

She was "badly injured and badly cut" with wounds on her head and torso, and was taken to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition, Dwyer said.

A spokeswoman for Bellevue Hospital was unable to give an update of the woman's condition.

Huang, also taken to hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, was still in custody on Monday, police said.

Huang was due to make a court appearance late Monday or Tuesday and it was unknown whether he had been assigned a defense lawyer, authorities said.