Richard Williams, an 83-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran, tragically succumbed to his injuries after he and another man were pushed onto subway tracks in Manhattan.
This horrific incident occurred on March 8, around 11:30 a.m. at the southbound platform for the F and Q trains at the Lexington Avenue-63rd Street subway station on the Upper East Side. Reports indicate a man approached two strangers waiting for a train and violently shoved them onto the tracks.
The first victim was identified as a 30-year-old man named Jhon Pena. Following that, Williams was also pushed, causing both individuals to fall onto the tracks.
Bystanders, including Pena, rushed to assist Williams, pulling him back onto the platform just moments before an incoming train. While Pena managed to escape with non-life-threatening injuries, Williams was not so fortunate.
Williams sustained severe head trauma, including internal bleeding, and was transported to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell. Unfortunately, he remained unresponsive on life support until his passing. The medical examiner determined the death as a homicide.
A retired Air Force jet mechanic and pilot, Williams had led an active life, even operating a business specializing in bulletproof materials. He was a cancer survivor, recently finishing treatment for prostate cancer, and lived on Roosevelt Island with his wife of 55 years.
Williams was also a proud grandfather, raising three daughters on Long Island while frequently utilizing the subway for errands.
The suspect, Bairon Posada-Hernandez, 34, a Honduran national, was apprehended on March 10 at a homeless shelter in Brooklyn. He was taken into custody by New York police and U.S. marshals.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Posada-Hernandez illegally entered the United States in January 2008 and had faced deportation four times, the most recent being in July 2020.
His extensive criminal record includes at least 15 prior arrests for serious offenses. Following Williams’ death, prosecutors upgraded the charges to second-degree murder, and Posada-Hernandez is scheduled for arraignment in Manhattan Supreme Court.
DHS officials criticized the failure of the justice system, insisting that a criminal like Posada-Hernandez should never have been on the streets to endanger innocent lives. They urged local politicians to ensure he is held accountable.
Cellphone footage from the scene captures parts of the shocking event, including the suspect walking along the platform after the acts. Despite his own injuries, Pena provided vital assistance at the scene.
As the case moves through the justice system, Posada-Hernandez remains in custody with an ICE detainer enacted.
