Photo: CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP / Getty Images
A homeless man is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder, after allegedly shoving an off-duty NYPD officer onto the subway tracks at the Third Avenue L train station in the East Village on Tuesday evening. The incident occurred around 7:30 p.m., according to the NYPD and sources.
The 24-year-old officer, who was assigned to United Nations General Assembly security, was pushed onto the tracks by Aaron Walker, who also fell onto the track bed during the altercation. Both men managed to climb back onto the platform, where a fight ensued. Walker then fled on an uptown train but was arrested at Union Square Station.
The officer was taken to Bellevue Hospital with head and body injuries and is reported to be in stable condition. Walker, whose last known address was a Harlem homeless shelter, has been charged with attempted murder, assault, attempted reckless endangerment, reckless endangerment, criminal trespass, and disorderly conduct.
ABC7NY reports that Walker has a history of 28 prior arrests and is currently awaiting arraignment. Despite this incident, the governor's office noted that subway crime has decreased, with a 9% drop this past summer compared to last year, and a 23% decrease in major crimes in August.
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