‘Grantless attack’: Man arrested for pushing passenger on subway tracks in New York

Concerns are growing among New York Subway users. A man suspected of causing the death of a New York City subway passenger by pushing him onto the tracks as he entered a train station has been arrested, police said Tuesday. A 24-year-old man was “arrested and charged” Monday night after causing the death of another passenger “in a gratuitous attack by pushing him onto the tracks as the subway pulled into a station” in East Harlem, in northern Manhattan, according to police message.

Upon arrival at around 7pm on Monday (2am on Tuesday in France), police found “an unconscious man who had been hit by a train on Line 4” of the vast metro network. Police have not confirmed whether the young man arrested, Carlton McPherson, a resident of the Bronx, New York’s toughest borough, had any mental illness or medical history.

New York City, which has strong socioeconomic inequalities, saw a surge in crime and delinquency during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021, but the statistics have improved since then. The fact remains that violent crimes jumped nearly 50% year over year in January.

“I’m always nervous”

On March 6, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced the deployment of 750 National Guard troops to some of the more than 400 subway stations. They are in addition to the police officers, who are clearly visible on the platforms and in the corridors, since the decision was made in 2022 by strong-willed mayor and former police captain Eric Adams.

“I’m not afraid, but I’m careful and attentive,” Janice, 50, said Tuesday at the Grand Central-42nd Street station, the busiest during rush hour. Similarly, Suzanne, who is in her sixties, says she is “always nervous” when in fact users are now moving away from the edges of platforms. Because there have been several violent incidents since January. On February 12, a gang-related shooting at a Bronx train station killed a 34-year-old passenger and wounded five others. A subway driver was stabbed at a stop in Brooklyn and a passenger was pushed onto the tracks, but his life was saved.