QUEENS, NY – A Brooklyn man has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a fellow passenger who asked him to quiet down during a cellphone call on an E train in Queens.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that 50-year-old Johnny Wood was arraigned on charges including attempted murder, assault, and weapon possession following the violent encounter.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. on November 22 aboard a World Trade Center-bound E train stopped at the Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer station.
Prosecutors said the 54-year-old victim confronted Wood about speaking too loudly on his phone, sparking an argument that quickly turned physical.
Argument turned violent on platform
According to investigators, Wood pulled out a knife during the altercation and stabbed the victim once in the ribcage before fleeing the train.
Police arrested Wood in Brooklyn a day later. The victim was hospitalized with broken ribs, a chest cavity injury, and a stab wound described as life-threatening but treatable.
DA: violence on subways will not be tolerated
District Attorney Katz condemned the attack, emphasizing the need for safety on public transportation. “Altercations cannot be resolved with violence,” she said. “As alleged, the defendant stabbed another rider over a trivial dispute, leaving him with severe injuries.”
Defendant faces decades in prison if convicted
Queens Criminal Court Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar ordered Wood held without bail pending his next court appearance on November 28.
If convicted of the top charge of attempted murder, Wood faces up to 25 years in prison.
A Brooklyn man is accused of stabbing a subway rider in Queens after an argument over a loud phone call led to a violent confrontation.
