"Prior to being pushed, our victim states the perp came up to him and said ‘I’m going to kill you,’" Essig said. "He begins to run away. He’s chased by the perpetrator and pushed onto the tracks."
The victim, who has not been publicly identified, did not touch the third rail and was not struck by an incoming train, police said.
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Corey Walcott, 44, allegedly told the victim, "I'm going to kill you," before shoving him onto subway tracks in Crown Heights, police said. (NYPD)
First responders brought the victim to NYC Health and Hospitals/Kings County in stable condition. He had suffered "substantial pain to his body, his wrists and his knees," Essig said.
Transit detectives identified Walcott as the suspect and took him into custody on 14 Street and 6 Avenue in Manhattan. Walcott was charged with assault.
Walcott was arrested Tuesday and charged with assault. Police said Walcott, a homeless man, has 19 prior arrests. (NYPD)
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Essig said that Walcott has 19 prior arrests for multiple counts of forcible touching, criminal possession of a controlled substance, assault, criminal sale of marijuana, fare evasion and criminal possession of a weapon.
New York City has grappled with a rise in transit crime since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
New York City has faced a surge in transit crime throughout the pandemic and has been working to make the city’s subways safer.
As of Sunday, there were 215 reported citywide transit crimes year-to-date, a 21.8% drop from the 275 transit crimes reported during the same period last year, according to public police data.