Gunman, 21, arrested in shooting of Times Square food vendor, claims self-defense: cops

An accused gunman was arrested hours after he and a group of hooligans allegedly shot a Times Square food vendor early Wednesday — though the suspect repeatedly claimed he acted in self-defense.

Emanuel Charles, 21, was charged with attempted murder, assault in the first degree, assault in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, criminal trespass in the third degree, and reckless endangerment, according to the NYPD.

The charges stem from the early morning shooting of a 29-year-old Times Square food vendor that followed a fight over a backpack between the trouble-causing posse and a knife-brandishing unidentified man.

Shocking video allegedly shows Charles and four fiendish cohorts struggling with the knife-wielding man in a ruckus that ended with four or five gunshots ringing out at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and West 47th Street just before 5 a.m., cops said.

One of the bullets struck the food vendor in the right arm, and he was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition, according to authorities.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the street vendor was the man with the knife filmed fleeing from the group or if he was an innocent bystander.

Four others believed to be involved in the chaos are in custody and are being considered for charges, but no determination had been made as of Wednesday night, according to cops.

Charles told The Post he acted in “self-defense,” as he was walked from the Midtown North precinct with his hands cuffed behind his back into a waiting police cruiser, stating, “the guy pulled a knife on me.”

The suspect has no arrest history, according to sources.