The New Yorker accused of pushing a stranger in front of an oncoming subway train has appeared in court following the near-fatal incident on New Year’s Eve.
Kamel Hawkins, 23, looked on indifferently as he was arraigned on New Year’s Day for attempted murder and second-degree assault in Manhattan Criminal Court.
He has not entered a plea in connection with the sickening attack on a 45-year-old man, who was launched into the path of a train on 18th Street in Chelsea about 1.30pm.
The unnamed victim miraculously survived after landing in the middle of the railroad tracks, but suffered a fractured skull, four broken ribs and a ruptured spleen during the fall, the report said. New York Times.
Hawkins wore a gray hoodie and black sweatpants with white sneakers during his arraignment. He will enter a plea to the Supreme Court at a later date.
The horrific incident was captured on surveillance footage on Tuesday afternoon. The subway shover walked behind the victim for several seconds before pushing him onto the tracks as a train approached.
Photos show the moment Hawkins was picked up by police and escorted through the subway to custody.
A law enforcement official told the New York Post that the man survived because “he fell perfectly into the trench,” describing the near miss as an act of God.
Kamel Hawkins (pictured), accused of pushing a stranger in front of an oncoming subway car, has appeared in court following the near-fatal New Year’s Eve incident
Hawkins, 23, looked on indifferently as he was arraigned on New Year’s Day for attempted murder and second-degree assault in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Hawkins wore a gray hoodie and black sweatpants with white sneakers during his arraignment. He will enter a plea to the Supreme Court at a later date
According to the release, Hawkins has pending assault cases in court.
He was reportedly charged with assault in June 2019 after attacking a police officer, and on October 12, he was charged with assault, intimidation and possession of a weapon.
Police said the subway rider did not appear to know the victim and described it as a random attack.
Two young men who had jumped the turnstile seconds earlier to avoid paying for their ticket turned and fled after witnessing the shocking attack.
It is the latest in a series of disturbing attacks on the New York City subway system, after a woman was tragically and fatally set on fire by a stranger earlier this month.
Separate footage shared by stunned passengers later showed the moment the victim was rescued from under the train.
About a dozen firefighters were deployed to remove the man from the subway tracks. Authorities said the victim, who appeared to have blood on his face, was hospitalized in critical condition.
A woman who filmed the encounter could be heard expressing her relief that the victim had survived as he was helped onto the platform.
“He’s alive!” she said, before turning to the other passengers and repeating, “He’s still alive.”
The subway platform was evacuated and the NYPD closed the scene while they investigated the incident.
Kamel Hawkins, 23, looked on indifferently as he was arraigned Jan. 1 on charges of attempted murder and second-degree assault in Manhattan Criminal Court.
Tuesday’s incident happened just hours before a million people gathered near Times Square to celebrate the end of 2024 and ring in the new year.
Travelers are advised to use the Metro due to massive road closures, which will allow more services in and out of the city.
The latest incident will put more pressure on officials to put an end to the horror attacks in the metro.
On Christmas Eve, two people were injured at Manhattan’s Grand Central Station after a maniac was stabbed.
Sources told DailyMail.com at the time that a 28-year-old man had stabbed two strangers with a knife in the apparently random attack just after 10pm at the busy tourist hotspot.
And just days before that, the Big Apple was stunned when a homeless woman was set on fire and burned while sleeping on a subway train.
The victim was identified by the NYPD on Tuesday as Debrina Kawam, a 61-year-old homeless woman from New Jersey.
Kawam’s murder made international headlines as people reeled from the NYPD’s response.
The woman who was set on fire and burned on a New York City subway has been identified as Debrina Kawam of New Jersey.
Condemnation of officials’ response was led Tuesday by New York Congressman Ritchie Torres, who criticized fellow Democrat New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
An officer was seen walking past the victim while she was still on fire, while the man who allegedly set her on fire – illegal immigrant Sebastian Zepeta – fanned the flames with his jacket.
Zepeta, 33, is charged with murder and arson following the horror incident.
Officials used fingerprint data, dental records and DNA evidence to identify Kawam and said she was believed to be homeless. She was originally from Tom’s River, New Jersey.
Kawam was reportedly sleeping on the subway at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station in Brooklyn around 7:30 a.m. on December 22 when she was set on fire.
Shocked social media users condemned the police response, describing the behavior of officers caught on camera as “cowardly” and “shameful” as they called for them to be appointed or fired.
Despite widespread outrage over the officer’s failure to intervene, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Titsch praised the police response to the horrific incident as “an example of great technology and even greater old-fashioned police work” during a press conference on Sunday evening.
Condemnation of officials’ response was led Tuesday by New York Congressman Ritchie Torres, who criticized fellow Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
The same day Kawam was identified, Hochul shared a tweet boasting about “our efforts to put more money in your pockets and build an Empire State where everyone has the opportunity to succeed.”
Torres responded: “On the same day that subway fire murder victim Debrina Kawam (61) was finally identified, Governor Hochul feels the need to take a victory lap.
“Mission accomplished” is the ultimate form of gaslighting.”