Mayor Eric Adams on Friday blamed the shocking rush-hour shooting on a Brooklyn subway car on an instigator with “severe mental health issues,” saying police were mentally ill. He pushed for legislation that would allow physically unstable people to be housed in institutions.
Mr Adams was filmed scuffling with another man on an A train entering the Hoyt Schermerhorn Street station on Thursday night, and the 36-year-old assailant was shot with his own gun. He claimed that he was not in a proper state of mind.
“When you look at this tape and break it down piece by piece, frame by frame, it’s clear that it embodies what our pursuit of people with severe mental illness looks like.” he told NY1.
“As the investigation progresses, we will uncover connections between what happened there and other acts of random violence that are disturbing to New Yorkers.”
In subsequent remarks on PIX 11, he described the suspect as one of “too many people with severe mental health issues.”
In fact, half of the approximately 40 perpetrators arrested for attacking MTA employees on subways last year had a history of mental illness.
Of the 38 people charged with 41 assaults on train drivers, conductors, medal shop clerks and other underground workers, 20 had at least five previous arrests and documented psychological problems. This was revealed in an investigation by the Post.
Even the woman who made headlines earlier this month after being accused of hitting a cellist over the head with a bottle had been institutionalized multiple times, Adams said in an appearance on NY1.
He said there are “some real severe mental illnesses” that are driving these acts of violence, making transit increasingly unsafe for New Yorkers.
In the latest incident on Thursday night, two strangers were filmed arguing for several minutes as onlookers begged them to stop.
“I’m going to punch you,” the 36-year-old instigator was seen telling the 32-year-old man.
“Are you going to beat the cops?” he growled.
Then a woman off-camera pointed out that the assailant seemed to think the other man was an immigrant, an apparent echo of the man he was seen punching two police officers near Times Square in January. It appears that he is referring to immigrant mobs.
“Fuck you, people like you. Fuck your race.” “Fuck you!” the instigator yells at the other man, before hurling threats at the other man, telling him to defend himself. urged.
The 32-year-old initially tried to ignore the taunt, but eventually jumped out of the back seat of the car, raised his fists and yelled at his attacker to “fuck him off”.
At that point, commuters who were trying to ignore the violent riot could be seen jumping from their seats and trying to move away from the fighting men.
However, one woman ultimately tried to intervene and was also seen allegedly stabbing the instigator in the back, which only angered the instigator towards her.
He then pulled out a gun and started running towards the 32-year-old straphanger.
The footage cuts out at that point, but at least four gunshots can be heard as the train enters the Brooklyn Station, home to the NYPD’s 30th Transit Precinct, and a 36-year-old man was arrested.
Police have announced that “the victim appears to be the perpetrator,” so it remains unclear whether the suspect will face any charges.
Police are currently searching for the young woman seen on video stabbing the instigator. She was said to have been in the car with a 32-year-old man she was fighting with, but she fled the scene after the scuffle.
Meanwhile, Mr Adams said more needs to be done to prevent mentally unstable people from becoming more violent.
He is pressuring the state Legislature to expand Kendra’s Law, which allows the court system to force people with mental illnesses who are “unlikely to survive safely in the community without supervision” to receive outpatient support. .
“We need to give law enforcement the support they need,” Adams said on NY1.
