Transgender Woman Pushed Onto NY Subway Tracks, Possible Hate Crime

There is an alarming increase of railway crime. One of the latest victims is a 28-year-old transgender woman who is known as Danny. The victim was on the platform of a southbound 6 train on Lafayette and Bleecker streets around 9 a.m. Tuesday when approached by a man “acting erratically,” the New York Police Department relayed. The suspect stated “What are you looking at?” to Danny, then threw a plastic bottle he took from a trash can before pushing Danny onto the tracks from behind, according to ABC News.

Thankfully, a fellow rider helped her back up on the platform and she was taken to Bellevue Hospital where she was treated and released for facial cuts and bruises. The suspect fled and is being sought by the police. The NYPD is offering up to $2,500 for anyone who can provide information on the suspect. At this point, it’s not clear whether this was a random attack or a possible hate crime, and sources indicated that the police are investigating to determine whether is an “‘anti-sexual orientation assault.”

Felony assaults are up a staggering 26.9 percent compared to last year at the same time through May 31, according to the most recent Transit Compstat report–99 crimes versus 78. However, city-wide, there was a 37 percent decrease in anti-sexual orientation incidents reported to police through May 24 from the same time last year, 24 complaints for the same period this year versus 35 complaints for the same period last year. Of course, statistics don’t tell the whole story, and riders were understandably shaken up by the attack.

The Head of the NYPD’s Transit Bureau Joseph Fox noted that the increase in ridership leads to tempers flaring in tight spaces, so more resources are being allocated where ridership has increased. He stated the following, according to the Daily News.

“We’re putting a lot of resources in Manhattan. It’s where the increase in ridership is.”

The victim Danny was attacked the same day transgender Bruce Jenner presented the new persona of Caitlyn. A longtime friend of Danny stated that she has never seen Danny in women’s clothing and that Danny lives with her grandmother and sister. Iris Estrella, 28, stated the following according to the Daily News.

“It’s horrible if someone attacked him for the way he looks, the way he was dressed. He likes to wear long nails. But nobody threats him bad here. It’s horrible. Nobody deserves to be treated like that. Thank God there wasn’t a train coming.”

Some riders commented how dangerous it is to stand near the tracks and that they keep a watchful eye out and try to stay back from the tracks. They noted that, unfortunately, such crimes can happen anywhere.

Hate crimes, if this is one, can occur in any setting. Apparently, one happened on Memorial Day. A family in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, was were brutally attacked by neighbors. The victims, a white family in the Juaniata section of Philadelphia, were attacked by a group of approximately 20 black neighbors while spending time at a family member’s house. According to the victims, they were targets of racism and did not deserve to be attacked. The father was beaten unconscious during the attack and both of his daughters, ages 12 and 14, were taken to the hospital to be treated for head trauma. Neighbors responded that the father started the fight, according to an article in the Inquisitr.