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Oct. 25, 2022 By Christian Murray
Police arrested a Brooklyn man on Monday who allegedly shoved a straphanger onto the tracks at a subway station located on the Queens/Brooklyn boundary Friday.
Lamale McRae, 41, has been charged with attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and harassment for allegedly pushing a man onto the subway tracks at the Myrtle–Wyckoff Avenues subway station at around 2:40 p.m. The victim was not struck by a train.
The disturbing incident was captured on video and the clip has been shown on national news networks to illustrate the rise in subway crime. Major crime in the subway system is up 42 percent year-to-date, according to police data.
The video shows the pusher—who police believe it to be McRae–standing on one side of the northbound L train platform with his hands folded and his back to the tracks.
He then appears to spot his victim — 32-year-old David Martin from Manhattan — walking along the opposite side of the platform near a different set of tracks.
McRae then drops his backpack and charges across the platform at Martin before shoving him onto the tracks, police say. He then dashes back to the other side of the platform, picks up his bag, and flees the station.
According to the NYPD, McRae has 10 prior arrests for crimes including strangulation, assault, and robbery.
Martin, who never saw the McRae approach him, suffered a broken collarbone and extensive bruising, according to reports. Police say the attack was unprovoked.
Police are still searching for a man who shoved a straphanger onto the tracks at a subway station located on the Queens/Brooklyn boundary Friday (Photos: NYPD)
The incident comes at a time when subway violence is rampant.
This year, there have been eight homicides in the subway system, including two in the past month.
For instance, a 15-year-old boy was fatally shot aboard an A train in Far Rockaway on Oct. 14. Additionally, on Oct. 7, a man was fatally stabbed on the 176th Street 4 train platform in the Bronx.
Meanwhile, on Oct. 17, Heriberto Quintana was killed in Jackson Heights after falling onto the tracks during a physical altercation. This incident, however, is being prosecuted as manslaughter.
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