MANHATTAN, NY – A Bronx man was sentenced to a decade in state prison for stabbing a fellow rider aboard a subway train during a New Year’s Day confrontation that left the victim with a punctured lung.
Jamar Banks, 53, pleaded guilty in September to first-degree assault for the attack inside the 14th Street and 7th Avenue Station.
The sentencing was announced Thursday by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr., who called the attack “vicious” and emphasized the city’s commitment to subway safety.
Key Points
- Jamar Banks, 53, sentenced to 10 years for a 2025 subway stabbing.
- Victim suffered a punctured lung after being stabbed in the back.
- Banks was arrested four days later at a Bronx train station.
Attack began after dispute over suitcase and blanket
According to court records, the assault occurred around 9:30 a.m. on January 1, when Banks awoke on an uptown 2 train to find his suitcase missing. Another man had reportedly taken the suitcase to an adjacent car, removed Banks’ blanket, and fallen asleep.
Banks confronted the man, ripped the blanket away, and shouted at him while holding a knife. When the victim tried to walk off, Banks stabbed him once in the back, causing a five-centimeter-deep wound that punctured his lung.
Victim collapsed after pressing subway emergency button
The wounded man stumbled into another subway car, activated the emergency button, and collapsed as passengers rushed to help. He was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he was treated for internal bleeding and a ruptured lung.
Banks fled the scene but was arrested four days later by NYPD warrants detectives at the 216th Street train station in the Bronx.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jillian Shartrand of Trial Bureau 30, under the supervision of Assistant D.A. Erin Tierney and Executive Assistant D.A. Lisa DelPizzo. D.A. Bragg credited Detective Frank Danoy and the NYPD Detective Bureau for their investigative work.
