By Dan Whitcomb
(Reuters) – New York City police on Sunday asked the public to help identify a suspect who shoved a subway rider in front of an oncoming train this weekend, the latest attack in the largest U.S. transit system.
The victim, a 26-year-old man, was helped back to the platform by witnesses at the scene but sustained injuries to his legs. Local media reported that he was treated at a nearby hospital.
“At approx. 11:50 AM, inside the E 149 St & Southern Blvd subway station, the suspect, unprovoked, pushed a 26-year-old male onto the train tracks as the “6” train was arriving. Any info?” the New York Police Department said on Twitter.
Surveillance video footage showed the bearded suspect, wearing a black ski jacket and brightly patterned pants, rushing toward the victim from behind. The attack itself takes place off camera.
New York City has seen a rise in violent crime over the past year that has included random attacks on subway riders.
In January, a 40-year-old woman, Michelle Go, was killed after she was pushed in front of a train at the Times Square Station. Her accused assailant was sent to a psychiatric facility after prosecutors declined to challenge a mental evaluation that found him unfit to stand trial.
Go’s murder was seen as part of a surge in hate crimes against Asian Americans in New York and other major cities.
On April 12, a gunman set off smoke bombs and opened fire in a subway car, wounding more than 20 people. A suspect was taken into custody the following day.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority said last month it would install cameras in all New York City subway cars at a cost of some $3.5 million.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)