Elderly Man Attacked on MTA Bus While Defending Pregnant Passenger

An elderly man was punched and stabbed after he stood up for a pregnant woman who was pushed by a bully on an MTA bus. He felt compelled to act due to what he described as a troubling “lack of respect for women on buses.”

Robert Hunter, 73, was returning from grocery shopping in Harlem around 6:30 p.m. on June 5 when the incident occurred at Broadway and West 92nd Street on the Upper West Side. He claims he was targeted simply for trying to protect women.

“There was a pregnant girl on the bus. She had a baby carriage, but didn’t want to sit down,” Hunter recounted during a phone interview. “She was asking others to sit down, and then a man pushed past her and punched her in the stomach.”

Hunter thought he was doing the right thing when he said, “You know she’s pregnant, please show her some respect.” Unfortunately, this only made him the target of the assailant and his three companions on the M104 bus.

Law enforcement officials noted that the assailants warned him to “be careful.” Hunter described the moment of the attack: “The guy came out of nowhere behind me. I didn’t realize, I thought I was alone…”

As he was attacked, he realized there were multiple assailants. “One hit me from behind,” he added. “The bus driver pointed out that there were four of them.”

The suspects allegedly punched Hunter and then brandished a knife, stabbing him in the left shoulder.

Hunter was transported to Mount Sinai Morningside Hospital where he was declared stable. “My arm was covered in blood,” he said. “I felt blood, but it didn’t hurt. I didn’t have a black eye or anything.” He received three stitches but felt fortunate that it wasn’t more serious.

Despite the attack, Hunter’s family urged him not to take the bus anymore. “They said things like, ‘You should drive; nothing can happen to you,’” he shared.

Yet, in his heart, Hunter maintains he did the right thing. “If that were my daughter, I would step in. If she were pregnant and someone pushed her, it’s not right,” he expressed.

As of late Wednesday, the NYPD released images of two suspects they are seeking regarding the incident.

Individuals with any information about the incident are encouraged to contact the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). For Spanish, the hotline is 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). Tips can also be submitted online via the Crime Stoppers website.