Attacker uses saw on N.Y. subway rider

[question everything]

Attacker uses saw on N.Y. subway rider

July 7, 2006

NEW YORK – A man wielding a cordless power saw in each hand rampaged through a Manhattan subway station early yesterday, using one of the buzzing blades to carve into the chest of a postal worker who later said it felt like “he was trying to cut through me.”

Police arrested Tareyton Williams, 33, of the Bronx on attempted murder and other charges about two hours later after they said he punched someone in another random attack on the street.

The victim, Michael Steinberg, 64, was hospitalized in stable condition. Speaking by telephone to reporters who gathered outside the hospital, he said the attack was unprovoked. The assailant “never spoke,” Steinberg said. “I think he was out of his mind.”

Associated Press

Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060707/news_1n7nation.html

[havocmom]

1. We need to pay more attention to mental health care in this country

We REALLY do.

[uppityperson]

4. very much so. It will only get worse

ptsd affects many people, and they affect many people, and so on.

[aquaman]

8. As someone who works within the mental health field.....

You can thank Bush for numerous cuts in funding for mental health programs/services. Stupid fuck that he is.

[lonestarnot]

16. Yeah his philosophy is kick 'em to the curb. If they starve, they are no

longer a problem.

[question everything]

18. A recent report found that many could qualify for housing

assistance - at least in Minneapolis. That many of the homeless are mentally ill and could qualify. I do not remember the details, but this can still be nation-wide.

[MercutioATC]

2. Ummm...

Ow!

[readmoreoften]

3. I see a chainsaw ban acomin'!

[lonestarnot]

19. LOL! Man the petitions repukes!

[nealmhughes]

5. The worst thing I ever witnessed on the subway was on a platform.

A "normal" guy suddenly rushed a teenaged girl on the edge of the platform and tried to push her into its path! About 3 guys had him beat to a bloody pulp in about 15 seconds. The transit cops were there muy pronto.
Once on a platform there was only myself and one middle aged lady waiting to go on the short shuttle from the west side to the east when out of the blue a guy came lunging and screaming and broke a bottle and wielding it at us screaming. You never saw two people join hands and run up stairs so fast in your life.
In five years of riding that was all I ever saw...imagine what daily lifelong riders have seen?

[Judi Lynn]

17. Not everyone would have taken the time to think of the middle agedd lady,

and would have opted for the Republican approach: "every man for himself."

Hearing you looked after your fellow human is very heartening. I believe a lot of people would have only been a blur as they sped off alone.

[Drum]

6. Y'know, living here in NYC, I reeeeally hate hearing of these things!

Not for my own safety per se, but for my fellow citizens' and for the reputation of our fair City. NYC is, statistically, a pretty safe place for residents and visitors...much safer than one might think, for such a population density. Bizarre incidents like the above are, also, a black eye for us, getting a big amount of bad press and reinforcing some folks' views of NYC as Slayer City and Land Of The Corrupt.
That portrayal doesn't tell nearly the whole story: that New York City really IS the melting pot, where every day you are interacting with people from a hundred different lands. On a human-to-human level, we really do surprisingly well, and tolerance (at the very least!) is part of everyday life here.

Of course I am appalled at this weird crime, and very sorry for the victims' and bystanders' wounds and trauma. Of course!

I just wanted to offer my positive comment on behalf of NYC additionally, to counter the negatives if possible....

[murielm99]

10. I visited NYC in 2003.

I had not been there in about fifteen years.

BTW, I live in a farming community.

I loved hearing every language and accent under the sun. I liked it that there were tourists from every country imaginable. I liked that it really is the city that never sleeps.

I know enough to use reasonable caution when out and about. But I never felt like I was in the middle of a crime wave.

I did notice that many of the New Yorkers seemed friendlier than the last time I had been there. I wondered if 9/11 had something to do with that. They found out that most of the country loved them and was outraged on their behalf. A waiter told me that tourism was still down, and lots of New Yorkers were worried about that in 2003.

I can't wait to go back there.

Weird shit happens everywhere. In my little town, they caught a young guy who was breaking into old ladies' homes and raping them. He was so stupid that he had tracked through the snow from one ladies house to his own house. He was easy to find. And he still denied the crime!

[Johnny Noshoes]

12. This native New Yorker...

This native New Yorker says thanks and come on back any old time.
"I loved hearing every language and accent under the sun. I liked it that there were tourists from every country imaginable. I liked that it really is the city that never sleeps."
These and many more reasons are why I love this town. Does it drive you crazy sometimes - yeah but its home. Once when visiting family in California we ended up in San Francisco and I was happy - streets, people of every type - I was "home". I guess I'm just an urban kind of person. I like the country its great to get away for a week.

When the going gets tough, the tough arrange photo ops. - Will Durst

[smirkymonkey]

15. Unfortunately, there was another subway knife attack on the

1 train at the 14th Street subway station this morning (heard it on the news.) And there were a few about a month ago. I also live here and consider it to be fairly safe, but the subways are starting to freak me out.

[The Anti-Neo Con]

7. With all the threats to NYC subways lately...

I'm surprised the MSM isn't spinning that the attacker is a member of Al-Qaeda.

[Voltaire99]

9. Where's Homeland Security when you need it?

Oh, fighting "terrorists"?

[slackmaster]

14. In this situation one Bernhard Goetz would have been sufficient

Or an off-duty police officer, or anyone with a licensed concealed weapon.

[zonkers]

11. Note: The cordless chainsaw(s) the man used belonged to a subway

maintenance team who left them unattended as they were installing some sort of time. I smell lawsuit. I heard a subway spokesman trying to to deflect blame as he responded to the fact that subway personel stood around and watched while the sicko repeatedly cut the guy.

[xchrom]

13. somebody has been watching too many movies.

note to crazy chainsaw dude: it's only a movie.