Jean Joseph, a subway conductor in New York, stepped out of the train window to ensure all passengers boarded safely.
Since an unexpected assault on him at Dittmars Boulevard Station last week while he was on a W train, he hasn’t returned to work.
Joseph mentioned that the attacker, wearing a white undershirt, had tweeted something about him closing the door.
Originally from Haiti, the 33-year-old MTA employee, who is preparing for fatherhood, suspects the man was upset about missing the train.
Joseph is still shaken by the incident. He recounted a nightmare where he was leaning out of the window, but instead of the attacker, it was the train that hit him.
He explained that after hearing the attacker on the supervisor’s radio asking for help, Joseph chose to leave the station.
Reflecting on the attack from May 2nd, Joseph remarked, “I think it’s a mess. We’re just trying to do our jobs, and this happens.”
His fiancé recalled a similar incident where a conductor in Brooklyn was attacked and injured. This has left her worried about Joseph’s safety as well.
Following the incident, Joseph was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment of a cut lip and two cracked teeth.
He remains unsure about when he will be able to return to work, expressing fear about sticking his head out the window again, despite it being part of the job to ensure passenger safety.
Authorities have issued a wanted poster for the attacker, but as of now, no arrests have been made.
Recent police statistics reveal a 13% increase in assaults on the subway system, rising from 184 in 2024 to 208 this year. However, serious transport crimes, including homicides, have actually dropped by 7.8%.
So far this year, there have been 11 attacks on MTA employees, which is slightly lower than the 13 incidents reported at this same time last year.
Data indicates that assaults on MTA staff peaked with 22 cases in 2022.
