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Cops are looking for the vigilante gunman who allegedly fired off shots whereas attempting to cease a vagrant from robbing a lady on the Times Square station – as officers warned Wednesday that ongoing subway violence “is not going to be tolerated.”
The would-be mugger, recognized as Matthew Roesch, 49, was charged with tried theft for attempting to “forcibly” snatch the 40-year-old sufferer’s belongings on the forty ninth Street N, R and W station round 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, police stated.
The unidentified bystander stepped in — and allegedly opened hearth towards the homeless man, in response to cops.
No one was struck.
“I’ve appeared on the video and it’s uncommon. The shooter appears to be like very calm, pulls out a gun, fires two photographs and calmly places the gun again in a bag and walks away,” Rich Davey, the chief of the MTA’s subway and metropolis bus methods, stated of the incident at a Wednesday information convention.
“That’s not what we want. Weapons shouldn’t be on the streets of New York however they’re,” he continued.
“We don’t tolerate this in New York City transit, interval,” Davey stated. “This type of misbehavior is not going to be tolerated.”
The NYPD on Wednesday launched surveillance photographs exhibiting the suspected gunman passing by way of a turnstile on the station whereas carrying a khaki backpack and a reusable brilliant inexperienced B&H Photo Video tote bag.
He was final seen sporting a lightweight inexperienced T-shirt, black shorts, white socks and black footwear with white sole.
Cops described him as being between 35 and 45 years previous, with a lightweight complexion, standing round 5-foot-9 and weighing about 230 kilos.
Roesch – whose tackle is listed as a males’s shelter in Kips Bay – was awaiting arraignment Wednesday.
The MTA president famous that Roesch was “recognized to police,” however didn’t present additional particulars about previous encounters with cops.
“We have the purse snatcher-slash-swiper in custody,” Davey informed reporters, including that cops arrived “inside minutes” when alerted.
“We have pictures of the man with the weapon and little doubt he’ll be in custody quickly,” he added.
NYPD Inspector Steven Hill, the commanding officer of the Transit Borough Manhattan, stated Roesch had been arrested earlier than for promoting MetroCard swipes.
“This gentleman has some historical past of swiping within the system, he’s recognized to us, he’s been arrested earlier than,” Hill stated, including, when requested by The Post, that Roesch’s prior busts have been for “hand-collecting and promoting … MetroCards.”
“He was arrested for promoting swipes, that’s a felony, once you bend the playing cards,” Hill stated. “That’s like prison possession of burglar instruments, you bend the MetroCards to get a free swipe. Or you’re holding the gate open, [that’s also] theft of service, misdemeanor expenses.”
Shortly earlier than the press convention, Hill gave Davey a walk-through of how the capturing performed out, an indication that was captured on video.
The two males will be seen strolling collectively within the subway station whereas Hill gestures to point out how the shooter brandished his weapon.
“He pulls out the firearm, factors it, the man’s working, then he factors the firearm on this path… let’s two rounds go, and it hits the pillar up there,” Hill informed the chief.
The investigation is ongoing, Hill stated.
Train service on the N, R and W lines was temporarily snarled because the NYPD investigated within the aftermath of the capturing.
