Homeless parolee convicted of subway shove a decade ago arrested for another unprovoked transit attack on 28-year-old woman: cops

The subway system in New York City was the scene of a disturbing incident on Sunday involving a deranged homeless man, Rolan Reid, who is on parole for attempted murder. Reid, who had previously served time for shoving a transgender woman onto subway tracks, assaulted another woman in an unprovoked attack at the 14th Street B/D/F station.

The 42-year-old suspect asked a woman to swipe him into the station with her MetroCard, but when she refused, he struck her with a metal rod and punched her in the arm. The victim, a 28-year-old woman, sustained a laceration from the attack and was taken to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.

Transit District Two officers arrested Reid at the station and charged him with assault, possession of a forged instrument, and criminal possession of a weapon. This was not Reid’s first offense, as he was previously convicted of another subway assault designated as a hate crime.

In that incident, Reid confronted a transgender woman on a subway platform, threw a plastic bottle at her, and shoved her onto the tracks while hurling anti-transgender comments. Security footage captured Reid rummaging through a trash can just before the attack.

Despite Reid’s criminal history and the recent subway assault, overall subway crime in New York City has decreased to the second-lowest level in 27 years. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch attributed this decrease to increased NYPD patrols on subway platforms and trains, leading to historic reductions in crime and violence.

In a separate subway crime on Sunday, three teens robbed a 14-year-old on a Brooklyn subway staircase, stealing his iPhone and backpack. The suspects remain at large, and the incident is under investigation.

While incidents like these are concerning, the NYPD’s efforts to increase patrols and combat crime have resulted in significant improvements in subway safety. The city is now considered one of the safest big cities in the nation, with record-breaking reductions in crime and violence.