New York man dies after being pushed in front of oncoming subway by mentally ill career criminal

On Monday, a straphanger was hit and killed by a subway in New York City after being pushed off a platform and onto the tracks by what was described as an emotionally disturbed person.

Police sources told the New York Post, the commuter was pushed onto the tracks as the northbound 4 train was entering the East 125th Street and Lexington Avenue station around 7 pm and the train was unable to stop in time.

The victim, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced dead on the scene and the suspect was taken into custody and charged with murder.

The suspect was identified as 24-year-old Carlton McPherson, who had a prior assault arrest from October 2023, was freed on bond, and was due back in court in July. According to ABC 7, McPherson also has a prior arrest for fare evasion, as well as other arrests.

The outlet reported that crime has spiked in the Big Apple’s subway system, most recently illustrated by a fatal shooting on a crowded train in Brooklyn, a video of which went viral earlier this month. 

Felony assaults on the subway jumped 53 percent last year from 2019. 

Crime has gotten so bad that the National Guard has been deployed to check bags of passengers on the transit system.

According to The Post, half of the attacks on transit workers in the subway system in 2023 involved a suspect who was suffering from a mental illness, many of whom also had a criminal history.

NYPD Transit Chief Mike Kempter announced earlier in the day that the department would deploy 800 additional cops into subway stations over the next five days.