Man charged with attempted murder after pushing man onto subway tracks in Chelsea: police
CHELSEA, Manhattan (WABC) -- The chilling video obtained by Eyewitness News shows a man standing close to the edge of the platform behind a couple of fare evaders, and another man approaching and casually shoving him in front of a 1 train just after 1:30 Tuesday afternoon at 18th Street.
First responders went between the stopped subway cars to rescue the 45-year-old victim and take him to Bellevue Hospital.
Sources tell Eyewitness News that the victim is a New York City resident and is in stable condition.
Less than an hour after the attack, a suspect was in custody. He was identified as Kamel Hawkins, 23, of Brooklyn.
On Tuesday night, riders on the same Chelsea platform headed to their New Year's Eve destinations called the attack 'brutal' and 'scary.'
"They want to hike fares up and they want to do certain things, but they can't even keep the people of New York City protected. You know what I'm saying? It's kind of sad," said Anthony Rodriguez.
Mayor Adams defended his efforts to get people off the subway system who are sleeping or seem like they need mental health services. He pointed to lower crime on the subway in 2024 and declines overall since 2009, but admits the perception just does not match the reality.
"People don't want to hear that. They say, 'someone just got burned, Eric.' If someone is shoved to the subway system on the tracks, people are seeing and feeling what they're reading. So our success is overshadowed," Adams said.
The cameras that help lead to arrests also make the disturbing crimes more visible to more people.
"I actually still feel relatively safe. You know, it's a big city and there's a lot of subway stations and a lot of people commuting, but yeah, it's still really scary when you see it on video like that so clearly," said Ethan Barsh.
Hawkins was quickly apprehended and held at 59th Street thanks to transit officers looking for the person in the video. He is charged with attempted murder and assault as a felony.
Police believe the attack was random, they say he did not know the victim and said nothing to him before pushing him in front of the train.
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