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Police have a 30-year-old former deli worker in custody believed to be the suspect who pushed a subway rider off the platform and into the path of an oncoming train at 49th Street after an argument.
Law enforcement sources say the suspect has made statements to detectives implicating himself in the deadly push.
A law enforcement official told NBC 4 New York the man is suspected of pushing 58-year-old Ki-Suk Han off the platform at the N, Q, R station Monday afternoon. Han was hit by a southbound Q train and died.
Witnesses told police the suspect was mumbling to himself before he and Han began arguing on the platform.
A bystander recorded part of the fight between the two men and turned the video over to police, who released it to the public Monday night, and received several tips. The man who allegedly pushed Han is heard cursing and saying, in substance, "Leave me alone... stand in line, wait for the R train and that's it."
He then pushed Han onto the tracks, police said. Han tried to climb back up onto the platform but died after getting trapped between the train and the platform's edge.
Read more news on NBCNewYork.com
The Q train operator, Terrence Legree, told the Daily News he saw the man in the tracks and tried to pull the emergency brakes on the train, but couldn't stop it in time. Even after he heard the sound of the train hitting the man and the locomotive screeched to a halt, Legree said he ran out of the control booth and tried to help the victim.
"If someone can be saved, you have to do what you have to do," Legree, a 21-year employee with the MTA, told the News. But Han couldn't be saved -- a tragic fact that had Legree struggling with an array of emotions and questions more than a day after the man's death.
“All kinds of emotions from ‘Why is this happening?’ to ‘Why was that guy down there?’ to ‘What happened?’” Legree told the News. He was treated for shock after the incident.
Police had released several photos and video clips of the suspect wanted for allegedly pushing Han into the path of Legree's train. A law enforcement official tells NBC 4 New York that co-workers from a nearby deli where the suspect works tipped off police that their colleague might be the subway pusher after they recognized his voice from video.
Investigators then saw the man on surveillance video in the street talking to street vendors outside the subway station, and when they went back to the area Tuesday, he was there, speaking with the same vendors, sources said.
One of the newsstand vendors told NBC 4 New York the suspect was a well-known face in the area and that he spoke to her Tuesday morning.
"I showed him the picture [released by police Monday] and he goes, 'Oh, that's not me,'" said Elizabeth Williston. "I said, 'Yeah, that's you!' Because yesterday, he had the beard, the hair. But today, he had shaved his head, shaved his mustache and everything."
Subway pushes are unusual. Among the more high-profile was the January 1999 death of Kendra Webdale. A former mental patient admitted he shoved her to her death.
Following that, the state Legislature passed Kendra's Law, which lets mental health authorities supervise patients who live outside institutions to make sure they are taking their medications and aren't a threat to safety.
R. Umar Abbasi, a freelance photographer for the New York Post, talks about the controversial photo he took of the man about to be hit by a subway train after being pushed onto the tracks, saying he was attempting to alert the driver and there was "no way" he could have rescued the man.
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Finally an interview with someone in NYC that can speak ENGLISH.
Let me get this straigt ...A BIG BLACK Man pushes a small asian man into an oncoming train and this is not a racial hate crime, I demand Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton to come on out of the woodwork and explain to us Honkies exactly why this is not a hate crime...
You need to look up "hate crime"....
Its motivation that make something a hate crime or not. I did not see this guy going off because this man was Asian. I dont think he killed him because he was Asian either. I think he killed him because hes a nut, and aggressive toward everyone.
Al Sharpton is rushing to NYC to make sure that the pusher is given proper treatment, since he is a victim of his society and circumstances. More welfare would have prevented this!
...and the guv wants to take our guns? what we need are 10 times the number of concealed carry permits. gunowners need to boycot places like ny until they are allowed to protect themselves to a level allowed in their locality. myself, if i was pushed onto that track, i'd like my dying act to have been putting one right between the ghetto monkey's eyes.
We are going to have to propose a bill to ban subways in the cities as they are a danger to society. The NRA built those subs you know so people can use them to kill people.
Subways kill people!
Not a good place to get into an argument.
So, since our socialist leaders are trying to ban guns because they kill, do you think that they will ban subways now too? Same thing.
Actually, if this nut had a gun, there would probably be more dead people. Like the guy with the phone cam who was filming them, etc. There was no mass killing here, so its not even close to the same. If anything it proves the point. This guy was only able to kill one man, and only because of the location. If this was a sidewalk, Mr.Han would be alive. If the nut used a gun, he could kill Mr.Han anywhere, plus a bunch of other people also.
Don't think for one minute that a person who is willing to kill another person would respect the law and not carry an illegal weapon. Had he had a gun, hopefully a good citizen on location could have pulled out their "legal" weapon and used it to stop him! If our gun rights are stolen from us, we will all be sitting ducks to nut cases that have no problem carrying illegal weapons and killing people. Where, oh where is logic? Sheesh!!! How can you call yourself "FREEDOM4EVERYONE" when you obviously don't really believe in individual freedom?
Can those "good citizens" carry their own weapon in NYC dah?
Probably not.....when the Mayor won't let people drink a 32 oz. soft drink! I don't live there and I don't know.....but the criminals can carry them, and they do! That may be why New York City has one of the highest crime rates in America.
I know, it was rhetorical. No, you can't carry a firearm in NYC except for police.
Its not about the law. If guns are banned, they cant be gotten legally or illegally.
Illegal guns are only available to criminals, because guns are legal. Illegal guns start out legal, and are sold into the blackmarket by legal owners breaking the law, or using loopholes in it.
Take away legal guns, and they are no longer available to anyone. Only the guns already out there will still be floating around, and people wont be selling them anymore if they are banned. They will bury them in the backyard and keep them for themselves, or turn them in because thats the new law.
Its why gun bans work in other countries that have banned guns. You dont see criminals running around armed there. Only the odd incident, and usually the gun came in from another country. Thats why these countries can often count their gun crimes on one or two hands.
The BS line that only criminals will have guns, if guns are banned, is nonsense.
PS: BTW, a gun ban also means an ammunition ban.
I think legalizing marijuana removes all that. Everybody would be too busy toking. That argument would have ended the moment the joint was passed.
Freedom....I wish I could live in your utopia, wearing rose-colored glasses. If only it were that simple, you don't think guns would be smuggled illegally (just as drugs are) from other countries, or that crooked cops wouldn't sell firearms to people on the street, or anything else? There will ALWAYS be illegal guns out there, no matter what you choose to believe. Banning guns WILL absolutely ensure that only criminals have guns. This country can't even protect its borders from illegals and drugs, what makes you think they'll do a better job at stopping illegal guns?
Freedom, I don't know about you, but I live in a gun state, and my S&W keeps my neighbors REALLY HONEST AND POLITE.
Guns are far more difficult to smuggle, and far less profitable than drugs. It would make them very expensive. That alone would prohibit things. People with money arent nearly as likely to be a problem. And very few would be around, compared to now.
I never claimed it would get rid of every single gun. Just most of them. Within 5 years of a ban, guns would be very rare. Thats how its gone down in every single country thats brought in a gun ban. That said I dont support a full ban, just handguns. I dont believe in concealable weapons being on the street. Especially when criminals can conceal them too.
And when people make dumb statements like "only criminal will have guns", I cant let that slide.
So very sad for the family of this man! What a horrible thing to have to cope with, such a waste of life and such a brutal way to die. It is dispicable.
I hope they catch this nut soon. The police better be checking the roads out of town, and the buses. He probably hit the road within minutes of realizing what he caused.
Condolences to the victims family and friends. And to witnesses who had to see that horrible event.
Let's keep the focus where it should be. Putting up guardrails, fences or whatever is not the answer....its not the platform that's the problem...its a freaking subway for Christ's sake. Its the idiot who chose to push him off of it that's the problem.
If I'm standing on the curb and somebody shoves me off of it into the path of an oncoming car, is it the curb's fault?? Does the curb need a barrier??? Get real people!!
What is wrong with New Yorkers???!!!!! Why didn't anyone come to this man's aid?! A couple of guys could have each grabbed an arm and pulled him back up off the tracks.
Certainly, the blame belongs squarely on the criminal who pushed him over the edge. It is appalling that no one even tried! And the photographer - I'm not buying a subway driver would stop a subway because he saw a flash - please!
If there could possibly be any good to come of this tragedy, citizens of New York - wake up and care about your fellow man - it could be you or a loved one who needs help one day. Reminds me of the Genovese murder in N.Y. in which so many bystanders could hear this poor woman being stabbed to death and no one came to her aid.
AMEN!!!
Nobody helped that guy. There are pictures of him on the tracks, then trying to climb out, and there are people all over the platform. Nobody stepped up to haul him out as the train bore down on him. Just unbelievable.
How do they sleep at night?
Usualy on the right side fetal, or face up.
BTW, where was security? Dont they have a few security guards kicking around in these subway stations? So they can deal with dangerous idiots like this?
If this doesnt illustrate the danger of a nutcase going after people in a subway, what will? Every station should have atleast two guards, four would be better. The country needs jobs anyway.
No, they never had security on every platform. Too many of 'em. All I know is, personally, especially when the train is coming in, I NEVER stand near the edge.
No. Police ride the subways, but not stationed permanently.
Not Police, transit security. They dont need police there. But a couple security guards would have probably saved a life. Security can always call police for backup.
They should have security, this is a perfect example of why they should..
But they don't. You will find transit police at major stations. There are no security guards.
In Singapore, there is a wall with doors that separates the train tracks from the platform. The doors are closed until the train arrives. The train doors align with the doors on the platform wall, and then open, much like the inner and outer doors of an elevator. So the worst thing that could happen is a stranger might push you into the wall, but it's impossible for anyone to fall onto the train tracks with that wall there. Of course, in Singapore, you would never be pushed by a stranger to begin with. It's a far more civilized place.
Too much to ask for in the US.
Hanging. Firing Squad. Electric Chair. These should be the only options for the man who pushed the victim to his death. It's a pathetic shame that NY no longer has a death penalty.
I guess we need Subway control or to outlaw subways since they can be used to kill people. I guess we need a campaign against them because they are so dangerous. Can we get the sports guy who talked about gun control during the game to be our spokesperson.
Or how about we just punish the guy who did this crime?
I guess we need Subway control or to outlaw them since they can be used to kill people. I guess we need a campaign against them because they are so dangerous. Can we get the sports guy who talked about gun control during the game to be our spokesperson.
Or how about we just punish the guy who did this crime?
All Bob Costas knows is that this wouldn't have happened if we had gun control....
I don't think any of you really know what this guy went through when the train hit him. Did any of you ever watch Faces of Death? The same thing happened to this guy that happened to the person on that movie. It is a most gruesome and horrible way to die. The train rips the bottom half of your body off and then all of your internal organs fall out. I wouldn't wish this fate on my worst enemy. Think about that before you spew your ignorant hate filled comments.
How did the killer escape? He just strolled out of the station? The transit police have some explaining to do.
This guy picked a fight with some guy in a subway, on a small platform, and his back to the train track. I blame the guy who pushed him, but not very well thought out of the victim.
We don't know who picked the fight, and the assailant was likely delusional (line? there are no lines for boarding a subway). The assailant needs to be found and taken off the streets. And people generally need a life lesson about not getting into verbal altercations with the obviously insane.
There are lines for buying tokens, passes, etc. We don't have all the details. But from the video it would seem the victim didn't walk away, and sat there arguing with a stranger. NYC 101, don't argue with the crazy people, or anyone else for that matter.
Its a tragedy, plain and simple! I hope they catch that pusher.
Condolences to the family!
Nobody tried to get the guy back onto the platform? What does the security camera show here? Did anyone reach out? If not then they are ALL guilty.
They were all too busy filming with their cell phones.
What's the consensus here? Should we ban subways, pushing, hands, arguments, or all of the above?
And if that was the case, I sure hope all the people in and around the scene of the crime on the platform don't sleep very well for a long time.