NYC subway rider is fatally pushed onto tracks, reviving discussion about mental illness in system

By KAREN MATTHEWS and CEDAR ATTANASIO
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A man accused of fatally shoving another person into the path of an oncoming New York City subway train has been described by his mother and officials as experiencing mental health issues. The death revived discussion Tuesday about how the city should respond to people experiencing mental health crises within the transit system. The shoving victim was pushed onto the tracks inside an East Harlem subway station shortly before 7 p.m. Monday. Police say the operator of an oncoming train was unable to stop. The suspected shover is a 24-year-old who has been arrested on a murder charge. No information about an attorney for the suspect was available Tuesday.