Reporters heard evil, deranged laughter Tuesday from the suspect who allegedly shoved a Harlem straphanger into the path of a subway train the night before.
Carlton McPherson, 24, of the Bronx chuckled while being escorted from the 25th Precinct stationhouse during his perp walk on Tuesday morning as members of the press asked him why he allegedly killed the unidentified male victim the evening before.
McPherson stands accused of pushing the victim without provocation off the platform at the 125th Street station on the Lexington Avenue line at about 6:58 p.m. on March 25. The man wound up falling right into the path of a Bronx-bound 4 train, killing him almost instantly.
Responding EMS units pronounced the unidentified victim dead at the scene. Police have withheld his name, pending family notification.
Police said McPherson allegedly lingered at the station following the incident and was swiftly taken into custody by members of the 25th Precinct and NYPD Transit District 4. He was questioned overnight at the 25th Precinct, however, and subsequently charged with murder.
Police sources have yet to comment on a possible motive for the killing.
On Tuesday, McPherson was led out of the 25th Precinct in cuffs and was swiftly quizzed by reporters who asked why he allegedly shoved his victim. McPherson responded with a chilling laugh.
Cops state that McPherson is no stranger to law, having multiple arrests on his record.
Last October, police sources said, he was cuffed for assault and criminal possession of a weapon in Brooklyn; and in September he was arrested for burglary on two separate occasions.
Most recently, in November, he was caught entering the subway system without paying. The NYPD has worked to crackdown on fare evasion in recent weeks, with officials saying numerous fare evaders have been caught either with open arrests warrants and/or in possession of narcotics or weapons.
Prior to Monday’s incident, the NYPD announced a surge of another 800 officers into the subway system to help stop fare evaders in their tracks.
