Frayed tempers due to crowding on trains are leading to more assaults this year, NYPD Transit Chief Joseph Fox said on Wednesday, including one in which a man punched a therapy dog and its handler in the Bronx because it was too close to him.
There were 234 felony assaults on the subway as of Nov. 30, a 17% increase from the same time period last year when there were 200 incidents.
“They’re primarily somebody arguing over space, bumping into each other,” Fox said, speaking at police headquarters. He noted the subway system averages 5.6 million daily riders — and more than 6 million on some days — more than double the number of 20 years ago.
Improvised weapons in these incidents have included a milk crate, umbrellas, a lock and a hairbrush, he said.
On Tuesday morning, a man was charged with punching and kicking a hospital therapy dog and the dog’s handler. The suspect, Herman Williams, 48, apparently became violent when the handler, who worked at a hospital, wouldn’t move the dog far enough away from him while riding the No. 4 train near Yankee Stadium.
“[Williams] asked him to move the dog on the train because it was too close to him,” Fox said. “He didn’t move him far enough away so Herman Williams … punched the dog in the face and then hits the handler and knocks out three of his teeth.”
The conductor hit a distress signal, Fox said, and a transit officer posted at the 161st Street station arrested Williams, who was allegedly found with several bags of marijuana. He was charged with second- and third-degree assault, menacing, second-degree harassment and unlawful possession of marijuana, according to the criminal complaint.
Williams was held in lieu of a $5,000 bond during his arraignment in Bronx Criminal Court, according to the district attorney’s office.
Attorney information for Williams was not immediately available.
“We remain committed to the safety and security of our customers and will continue to work with the NYPD to track down these criminals and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,” an MTA spokesman said in an email about transit assaults.
Fox said about half the crime incidents on the subways, which amount to about 6.7 crimes each day, are actually electronics-related, and many people don’t even realize they’re a victim until hours later.
“That’s reflective of people knowing they’re safe in the subways. And they are — it’s a very safe system,” Fox said. “But we really encourage people to be aware of their surroundings.”
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said it’s important to keep the total number of crimes in perspective, calling it “minimal” and asking New Yorkers to help by being vigilant.
“And we could be helped quite a lot if people paid more attention to not falling asleep on the subway, or protecting their property more than they do,” Bratton said. “So this is a shared responsibility.”
