In a recent escalation of violence against transit workers in Brooklyn, a 51-year-old MTA employee, identified as Marshalee Reid, was assaulted by two women accused of attempting to evade the subway fare. The incident occurred at the New Lots Avenue subway station on the 3 line in East New York. ABC7 New York reports that Reid was attacked last Saturday after confronting one of the women for jumping over the turnstile.
Caught on security camera, the assault took a more aggressive turn when Reid, who was on restricted duty following a recent brain surgery, was pulled to the ground and beaten — one of the suspects using a set of keys to cause facial lacerations. Reid, who managed to help someone with the fare machine moments before the attack, was opening the mezzanine door for an elderly rider with an oxygen tank when the confrontation began. Reid was subsequently taken to Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center and is now recovering at home. AM New York reported the aggression encountered by Reid, underscoring the risks MTA workers are facing as transit crime in Brooklyn's 75th Precinct has risen by 71% this year.
"This here is just a senseless crime," Robert Kelley, a TWU Local 100 official, told ABC7 New York, emphasizing the unprovoked nature of the attack on the station agent who was simply doing her job. The lack of police presence during the seige has prompted the Transport Workers Union to call for increased MTA police and NYPD transit officers in high crime areas. TWU local 100 President John Chiarello questioned how the city plans to attract and protect transit employees when risks of violence loom large, suggesting that there is a clear need for lawmakers to partner in the enforcement of laws.
In addition to the union's calls for greater police protection, they urge that the city's district attorneys must vigorously prosecute crimes of this nature. Reid, too shaken up to return to work and unsure of when or if a return is possible, told reporters, "I want people to know that they have to stop assaulting city workers." Echoing these sentiments, Kelley asserted that TWU members are "hoping and praying" for no long term effects for Reid due to the assault. As of now, the suspects are still at large, with police seeking two women both believed to be aged 25 to 30, as reported by AM New York.
Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline.
