Veteran MTA employee hailed a hero after preventing man from being stabbed to death

NEW YORK (WABC) -- An ordinary day on the job quickly turned into anything but for veteran MTA agent Richard Singleton, when an argument between two men near the 6 train platform at 28th Street quickly escalated with one man pulling out a knife.

"I was able to get on top of the guy with the knife, and the victim was under us, so it was three of us," says Singleton, "you have the victim, the guy who was stabbing him on top of him, and I was on top of that guy."

Singleton says he barely had time to think - he just knew he had to do something to help the 29-year-old victim, who was being repeatedly stabbed in the head.

"It didn't register to me how serious the situation was until about 30-40 seconds into the event when I was on top of him holding the knife saying 'oh my God'. Suppose he flipped me over and began attacking me," Singleton adds.

After wrestling the knife away, Singleton then held the attacker down until police arrived. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment, and singleton say no other words were exchanged between them. However, many others are now praising Singleton as a hero - a title he modestly declines.

"I saw something, I did something - I don't think it's much of a big deal. I think most people would have done the same thing," he says.

Eyewitness News now knows the name of the attacker. He has been identified as 27-year-old Donald Cheatam from Charlotte, North Carolina. Cheatam is now being charged with felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon.