An MTA employee attempted to deceive his superiors.
After the hoax was exposed, Henry Herring, 54, reportedly told investigators that his aim was to have the summer off as the heat was unbearable down there.
Last week, Herring, a transit cleaner who was hired last year, was arrested for falsely reporting an incident. The MTA had suspended him without pay prior to his arrest.
A deranged beggar who allegedly stabbed a woman in a New York City subway station has been apprehended and held without bail. According to the police, the victim is currently fighting for her life.
A complaint was lodged in Queens Criminal Court stating that Herring reported to cops from the 107th precinct that he was assaulted at the 179th Street subway station in Jamaica, just after 3 a.m. on July 31.
According to the complaint, he was cleaning a train car when an unknown male pushed him from behind and swung a cutting instrument at him, resulting in cuts on both of his hands.
Herring was caught red-handed thanks to the surveillance video from the station.
After being confronted with the footage, he allegedly admitted to the police, “I found something in there to cut myself,” when I entered the room.
He expressed remorse and apologized for taking up everyone’s time. He admitted that he was unaware of the presence of cameras on the platform.
According to prosecutors, a man from New York City left his neighbor, who was a musician, to die on the steps after a vicious subway knifing.
On Sunday, Herring appeared before the court and was arraigned. He was released without bail and will have to return to court on October 8th.
MTA Communication Director Tim Mitton stated in a press release that the assault of MTA employees is a pressing concern, and the NYPD has made significant strides in identifying and apprehending the culprits.
Minton expressed his deep disappointment regarding the allegations in this case, stating that it goes beyond just that. He emphasized that diverting resources from investigations of real crimes while simultaneously weakening people’s trust in the safety of the transit system is unacceptable.
Expressing outrage, the Local 100 of the Transit Workers Union took to X to denounce the “attack” on one of their members, which occurred after the purportedly false assault report made by Herring on July 31st.
The union President Richard Davis stated in a post that a member was attacked while on duty and had to defend himself resulting in slashes on both hands. The incident occurred around 3:45 a.m. The member is currently recovering at home. Davis expressed concern that despite the crime statistics, the MTA is not doing enough to protect its workers. He believes that the erratic behavior throughout the system is putting their safety at risk.
On Monday, the union opted not to provide any comments.
Based on correction records, Herring has had previous encounters with the law, resulting in two incarcerations in upstate prisons.
According to records, he had been convicted of multiple robbery and weapons charges dating back to 2007. After serving 14 years in prison, he was finally released in 2021. It wasn’t until May of the same year that he was able to complete his parole and secure a job with the MTA.
According to records, he was released in January 1990 after spending less than six months in prison for a previous robbery conviction.
On Monday, it was not possible to reach Herring directly for comment.
According to Queens Defenders, they refrain from commenting on cases that are currently open, including that of Herring.