What you should know
- Police circulated images of a suspect they believe hit a man in the head with a metal pipe several times after an argument around 1 a.m. Saturday at the Queens Plaza station.
- The man he attacked, 31, was taken to the hospital with multiple lacerations to his head, according to the NYPD.
- Last week there were multiple violent incidents above and below ground that raised concerns about subway safety, including the brutal beating of an MTA worker in Lower Manhattan.
NEW YORK — Two separate violent attacks at a busy Queens subway station capped a week of high-profile incidents on the transit system that left several passengers beaten, bloodied and at least one dead.
Police circulated images of a suspect they believe hit a man in the head with a metal pipe several times after an argument around 1 a.m. Saturday at the Queens Plaza station. The man he attacked, 31, was taken to the hospital with multiple lacerations to his head, according to the NYPD.
The pipe attack came less than 48 hours after a Brazilian tourist at the same subway station was slashed in the neck in what police called an unprovoked attack. The victim, 29 years old, had arrived in the city on vacation with his wife; They had only been here one day.
Last week there were multiple violent incidents above and below ground that raised concerns about subway safety, including the brutal beating of an MTA worker in Lower Manhattan.
Our sister network NBC New York obtained exclusive video of the attack at the Wall Street station, where the worker was punched, kicked and slammed into the side of a train car after trying to wake a sleeping man. Witnesses to the attack helped subdue the man and restrain him until police arrived.
Two days earlier, a medical student and electric cellist was randomly attacked while performing at the Herald Square subway station. Police and video show a woman coming up behind her and hitting the musician in the back of the head with her metal water bottle.
All of these incidents followed a shocking fight between alleged teenage gang members that turned into a shooting in the Bronx that claimed the life of a 35-year-old man caught in the crossfire. Gunfire erupted during the night commute, cutting service on the line.
Two of the three teenage suspects are already in custody, but a third, just 15 years old, remains on the run from the NYPD.
The series of violent incidents throughout the system represents a rise in crime in the subway. So far this year, New York Police Department data shows that robberies and felony assaults are up, 5% and 10% respectively, compared to the same period last year.
Police say there are more than 1,000 additional officers deployed to the transit system each day.
“The NYPD fully understands how safety and the perception of safety weigh heavily on the minds of our subway riders,” a statement from the department said. “Arrests of criminals have increased, as have citations for violations that greatly affect the passenger’s sense of comfort and security, and let’s not forget the enforcement of measures against fare evaders.”
The department says the “main driver” of that improvement is large-scale thefts. According to police, about half of all crimes committed on the subway this year are grand thefts.
Travelers who spoke with NBC 4 in recent days say the attacks have been top of mind and expressed concern about the “randomness” of some of the incidents. One person said they were significantly altering their commuting habits.
“I’m afraid to go out at night,” said Peter Hsing at the Queens Plaza station. “I canceled all my dates with my friends, I don’t want to go out.”
“The government and the city can do many things to make us feel safer,” he added.
Others, like Maveryck Harlem, said it’s essential to stay alert on the train and be prepared for anything.
“Protect yourself the best you can. That made me learn to defend myself, because you never know,” Harlem said. “You just have to be alert.”
2024-02-19 21:40:41
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