Early-morning riders at the Parsons Boulevard station in Briarwood got a jolt Sunday when a 63-year-old man was suddenly shoved off the platform and onto the southbound F train tracks around 5:30 a.m., in what police are calling an unprovoked attack. The victim, who suffered cuts and bruises, was rushed to Jamaica Hospital and is expected to survive, authorities said. Surveillance footage appears to show a lone assailant slipping under a turnstile and later fleeing the station on foot, leaving shaken witnesses to replay the moment as they waited for service to resume.
Police Release Photos And Transit Video
Investigators have released images and video that they say capture the suspect crawling under a turnstile, then shoving the 63-year-old victim onto the tracks shortly before 5:30 a.m., according to New York Daily News. Police described the attacker as a man in his late 30s to early 40s with a medium build and light-colored facial hair. He was last seen in a blue sweater, red pants, and a black-and-gray winter hat, with a blue face mask pulled down under his chin. Witnesses told detectives the man yelled "get out" before the shove, then bolted from the station on foot, according to authorities.
Parsons Boulevard Has Seen Other Recent Violence
The Parsons Boulevard stop has not been quiet this spring. Transit detectives also investigated an April stabbing there that left a 14-year-old with facial injuries, as reported in 14-year-old slashed at Parsons Blvd. That incident, along with a recent run of seemingly random platform shoves across the city, has riders on edge and has renewed calls for riders to preserve any surveillance or cellphone video they might capture. Local reporting has noted that cellphone clips and station cameras have repeatedly helped investigators piece together similar cases.
How To Help Investigators
Police are asking anyone who was at Parsons Boulevard around the time of Sunday morning's assault, or who recorded any part of it, to save their video and contact detectives. Anonymous tips can be submitted to NYPD Crime Stoppers or by calling the department's tip line at 1-800-577-TIPS. Detectives are continuing to canvass the station and review surveillance footage as they work to track down the suspect.
