CHARGES MAY FOLLOW ALLEGED SLASHING INCIDENT ON SUBWAY

On Feb. 29, a Brooklyn commuter was injured on a subway platform after attempting to arouse another person in what news sources are calling an “odd incident.” According to reports, the alleged altercation took place in the Classon Ave. station on the G line at approximately 3:15 a.m. It was one of a series of incidents involving slashing or stabbing that have been ongoing throughout New York City.

The alleged 54-year-old attacker was taken into police custody, and charges against him are pending. The weapon, which is believed to have been a box cutter, was not recovered.

Sources say that the alleged attacker, who had been asleep on a bench, lashed out with the box cutter as he was awakened by a 33-year-old man, slashing him on the nose. The injured man refused treatment at the scene and was not believed to have been seriously hurt.

In cases involving a deadly weapon such as a box cutter, the alleged attacker could be issued assault and battery charges. People who have been charged with these types of violent crimes can face significant penalties if convicted, including lengthy incarceration. As such, they may want to meet as soon as possible with an attorney so that an appropriate defense strategy can be developed for use before or at trial. One possible argument that could be made is that the person who has been charged was acting in self-defense and reasonably believed that the act was necessary for self-protection against threatened harm that was imminent and unlawful.

Source: New York Daily News, “Straphanger Slashed On G-Train in Brooklyn After He Wakes Up Sleeping Passenger,” Rocco Parascandola, Feb. 29, 2016