Man faces charges after shoving off-duty NYPD officer onto L train tracks in East Village: police
EAST VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) -- An off-duty NYPD officer is recovering at the hospital after he was shoved onto the subway tracks during a dispute with a homeless man at an East Village subway station.
Police say it happened at the 3rd Avenue station at around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night.
The 24-year-old officer landed on the L subway line tracks after being allegedly pushed by 28-year-old Aaron Walker, who also fell onto the track bed.
Both men pulled themselves onto the platform and Walker fled on a train. He was arrested at the Union Square station.
Walker was charged with attempted murder, assault, attempted reckless endangerment, reckless endangerment, criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
The off-duty officer was taken to Bellevue Hospital and was said to be stable.
The officer was assigned to United Nations General Assembly security and had just gone off duty.
Police say Walker has 28 prior arrests. He is awaiting arraignment.
According to the governor's office, subway crime is down.
This past summer, crime was down 9% compared to last summer. And in August, specifically major crime on the subway was down 23%.
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