Police arrested a man Monday night for allegedly shoving an unsuspecting commuter to their death in front of an oncoming subway train in Manhattan.
NYPD officials said the incident unfolded just before 7 p.m. Monday on the platform at 125th Street and Lexington Avenue in East Harlem.
Police accused the suspect, 24-year-old Carlton McPherson, of pushing a 54-year-old Bronx man onto the tracks in an unprovoked attack. Police said he did not appear to know the victim, who the NYPD later identified as Jason Volz, and it was unclear whether they exchanged words beforehand.
Volz was struck by an incoming northbound 4 train and died at the scene, according to police.
McPherson was charged with murder, and his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court was pending Tuesday morning. Police said he lives in the Bronx.
Police have maintained that subway crime overall has been stable this year but a series of high-profile, fatal attacks have exacerbated fears that city trains are dangerous. Those fears have led to the deployment of hundreds of additional officers as well as National Guard troops.
On Monday, even before the fatal shoving, the NYPD announced it was deploying 800 plain clothes and uniformed officers to crack down on fare evasion over the next five days. Police officials have argued that farebeaters are responsible for an outsize portion of other subway crimes.
This story has been updated with the victim's name.
