The same man who just seconds before had assisted a straphanger in getting off the roadbed threw him aggressively onto the subway tracks in the West Village on Saturday, according to authorities.
Around 4:45 p.m., the suspect bumped into his victim in the West 4th station, starting a strange altercation that swiftly turned violent, according to police sources.
According to the NYPD, during the altercation, the 34-year-old suspect, who has a long criminal history, “fell” onto the Southbound A-train tracks.
The 34-year-old victim assisted the man in getting back onto the platform, but in return, he received a blow to the face and a shove that left him on the roadbed where his attacker had just landed.
Luckily, authorities say, no trains arrived at the station before an onlooker could assist the second man in getting to safety.
Already present at the station, officers raced to the scene and struck the aggressor with mace. After being placed under arrest, he was treated at Bellevue Hospital. The victim declined medical attention.
Although charges were still pending on Saturday, law enforcement officials said that the defendant has a history of 21 prior convictions, including assaults on an EMT and robberies.
