BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) – A man who was shot with his own gun during a fight on a subway train in Brooklyn earlier this month will face criminal charges if he survives, police said Thursday.
“The aggressor in this case is still in the hospital intubated,” said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. “If he survives his injuries, he will be charged with criminal possession of a weapon.”
The 36-year-old man was shot by a 32-year-old man after picking a fight with the 32-year-old on a northbound A train near the Hoyt-Schermerhorn Streets subway station, according to the NYPD and law enforcement sources.
Authorities said the victim started the argument and pulled a gun on the 32-year-old man, who disarmed him and shot him in the head, chest and abdomen.
According to witnesses, the 36-year-old man targeted the 32-year-old man and his unidentified female companion aboard the train. The 36-year-old allegedly told the man and woman, "You think you can come here and beat up cops,” referring to the Times Square cop beatdown in late January.
Witnesses said the female companion turned to the 32-year-old man and said, “He thinks we are migrants.”
As tensions escalated, the female companion, who's nicknamed "Unique," pulled out an unknown object from her bag and stabbed the 36-year-old man, according to police.
Authorities are still looking for the woman. It remains unclear if she will face criminal charges, police said.
The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office decided not to charge the 32-year-old man, citing evidence of self-defense.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.