A woman in her 20s threatened cabbie Robby Williams in an effort to get $50.
After wielding a hammer and swinging at Williams, his vehicle runs into a parked car.
The woman fled on foot soon after.
Cops are now hunting the suspect, who was wearing a brown knit hat and light-colored hoodie, and is believed to be between 20 and 25 years old.
The footage, released this week, begins with driver Robby Williams about to drop the woman off.
Looking as if she's fishing for cash inside her handbag, she instead pulls out a box cutter and demands $50.
Williams grabs her arm and, with the blade pressing into his hand, calmly asks her what she's doing before saying, "I know your family."
"You don't know anything about me," she replies, before adding: "I have people around waiting if you do something stupid."
Williams slams on the gas, accelerating as the woman screams at him to stop before slamming into a parked car, which is when she flees on foot.
Levelheaded Williams was treated for the cut to his hand, but said it was imperative he'd remained calm throughout.