A former federal prosecutor was brutally attacked while riding the subway on the Upper West Side of New York City, raising concerns about the safety of the crime-plagued metropolis. The incident occurred on Wednesday at around 6:20 p.m. when a fellow passenger, described as a “crazed straphanger,” approached the victim and uttered, “Back the f—k up,” before delivering a forceful punch to his face. The victim, a 56-year-old attorney who requested anonymity for his safety, recounted the incident, stating that his glasses were knocked off and his jaw remained sore.
The former prosecutor, who had dedicated 12 years to prosecuting gangsters and white-collar criminals, expressed shock at the subway violence reminiscent of the city’s troubled past. He emphasized that he had not been in close proximity to the assailant, making the attack even more unexpected. After disembarking at Broadway and West 72nd Street, the victim promptly contacted the police. However, as of Friday, the attacker remained at large.
The assault has left the former prosecutor deeply unsettled, leading him to question the overall safety of the city. While acknowledging that he will recover from the incident, he believes that such crimes contribute to a sense of disorder and erode public confidence in law enforcement. He expressed skepticism regarding Governor Hochul’s proposal to deploy the National Guard to the subway system, deeming it ineffective in addressing incidents like this. Instead, he emphasized the need for a swift police response within the subway system itself.
This attack serves as a stark reminder of the “bad old days” of subway crime in the 1970s and 80s, when passengers feared riding the rails at night and volunteer group Guardian Angels patrolled the underground. Recent data indicates a significant spike in subway violence since before the pandemic, with a 53% increase in injured straphangers reported between 2019 and 2023.
