Two men were arguing inside a New York subway station early Sunday morning when one of them pulled a knife, but thanks to a shift change and a heroic subway clerk, police apprehended the man accused of being the knife-wielding attacker.
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According to the New York Daily News, a 27-year-old man and a 30-year-old man, neither of whom was named in the report, began arguing over a stolen cellphone. The argument quickly turned physical, and authorities say the 27-year-old man pulled a knife and began slashing at the victim.
"The only thing I thought was, 'Am I in a position to save this person's life?' " Metropolitan Transportation Authority clerk Richard Singleton, who had just started his shift, told the Daily News. "Everything else happened so fast, but I knew I couldn't let someone get stabbed to death in front of me."
Singleton, who has worked for the MTA for 18 years, rushed from his booth and grabbed the attacker's wrist. The knife fell to the ground, and Singleton held the man until police arrived.
The victim suffered cuts to his head and neck and was taken to a local hospital, where he was in stable condition, according to the Daily News.
Police told the Daily News that they don't believe the two men knew each other.
Maurice Jenkins, vice president of stations for Transport Workers Union Local 100, told the Daily News that clerks like Singleton are still needed even though subway stations now have cameras. "Technology can enhance the experience but never replace people in the system," Jenkins said. "This man is a hero."
Read more at the New York Daily News.
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