Chilling video shows suspect shoving man into path of NYC subway train — but victim survives 'by God's own hand'

Chilling video shows a New York City commuter being shoved onto subway tracks — and into the path of an oncoming train — Tuesday afternoon. What's more, the suspect in October was accused of harassing a woman and throwing bleach at her but was set free thanks to New York City's lenient no-bail policies.

In regard to the subway shove, video shows a male creeping up behind an unsuspecting commuter and violently shoving him off the 8th Street station platform in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. Video of the entire assault (content warning: disturbing images) shows the victim falling toward the tracks as the train runs over him.

'If you look at the video, you wonder how he could have survived, so against all odds, he is going to survive.'

A witness told WABC-TV of the suspect, "I actually got a very weird vibe from him, I don't know if it was the way he dressed. He had a face mask on. He had his hood up, made eye contact with him, just got a very weird vibe. So I just immediately sat down on the bench."

A rider on the 1 train added the New York Post, "The subway stopped abruptly, then we waited for 10 minutes, confused. Then the conductor said over the intercom that we were going to have to evacuate because there was a man under the train."

The subway commuter said the victim was "bloody."

The 45-year-old victim narrowly escaped death in the New Year's Eve attack.

"By God’s own hand, he fell perfectly in the trench," an anonymous law enforcement source told the New York Post.

City Council member Erik Bottcher told WCBS-TV, "If you look at the video, you wonder how he could have survived, so against all odds, he is going to survive."

The victim — Joseph Lynskey — suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs, and a ruptured spleen.

He was listed in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital on Tuesday night.

The suspect was identified as 23-year-old Kamel Hawkins of Brooklyn.

Officers with the New York City Transit Police Department quickly apprehended Hawkins at 59th Street thanks to surveillance video of the subway attack.

Hawkins is charged with attempted murder and assault. He is being detained at the Eric M Taylor Center without bail. Hawkins faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of attempted murder. Police said it does not appear the victim knew his attacker. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 6.

Hawkins previously was arrested in Brooklyn on Oct. 19. Charging documents accuse Hawkins of sending harassing text messages, damaging a woman's front door by kicking it, and throwing bleach at her in the stairwell of her building.

The New York Daily News reported that Hawkins was charged with multiple misdemeanor counts of aggravated harassment, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and related offenses. However, Hawkins was released on his own recognizance at his arraignment. A spokesman for Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez told the outlet that the charges were not bail-eligible.

Hawkins is set to go to court for the Brooklyn allegations on Jan. 29.

WABC reported that Hawkins was arrested in June 2019 and charged with assaulting an NYPD officer, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, and disorderly conduct.

As Blaze News reported this week, the Guardian Angels vowed to patrol New York City subways to deter crime following the horrific death of a woman set on fire on a subway train by an illegal immigrant who was previously deported during the administration of Donald Trump.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!