Man sentenced to 13 years for stabbing at port authority bus terminal, prosecutors say

MANHATTAN, N.Y. — Michael McCloskey, 42, was sentenced to 13 years in state prison for the unprovoked stabbing of a 65-year-old carpenter at the Port Authority Bus Terminal in April, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr. announced on Thursday. McCloskey pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder in the second degree in September.

The attack occurred on April 22, 2024, at approximately 5:40 a.m., as the victim, who was commuting to work, waited for a co-worker. McCloskey approached the man from behind and stabbed him nine times in the throat, neck, back, and arm without warning. The victim sustained multiple lacerations and puncture wounds, requiring 47 stitches and an overnight stay at Bellevue Hospital.

Officers from the Port Authority Police Department, patrolling nearby, heard the victim’s screams and quickly intervened, arresting McCloskey at the scene while he was still holding the knife.

“Michael McCloskey will serve a significant prison sentence for stabbing a man commuting during the early morning hours,” said District Attorney Bragg in a statement. “Although physically healed, the victim is still reeling from the effects of this attack.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Sidney Balman III, with assistance from several members of the Trial Bureau 60 and the Port Authority Police Department.

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