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Man given ticket and released after death of Penn Station subway punch victim
By
Charles Lane
Published Mar 16, 2026
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By
Charles Lane
Published Mar 16, 2026
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The New Jersey resident who police say punched another man at a Penn Station subway stop Saturday — shortly before the man died — has been issued a desk appearance ticket and released, authorities said Monday.
Police are awaiting results from an autopsy examination before potentially bringing additional charges against Nassadir Tate, 21, of Hillside, New Jersey, according to the NYPD. He has a return court date of April 1 on an assault charge for now.
Authorities say Tate was involved in a dispute Saturday with a man who was found unconscious and unresponsive around 7 p.m. on the northbound C/E platform at the 34th Street-Penn Station subway stop in Midtown Manhattan.
EMS transported the 55-year-old man to Lenox Hill Hospital in critical condition, where he was later pronounced dead.
Police said surveillance video led them to charge Tate Sunday with punching the man in the face during the dispute in the transit system. Authorities did not provide details about the nature of the dispute, where exactly it took place or how much time elapsed between the assault and when the 55-year-old became unresponsive.
Tate was not charged with homicide because the medical examiner has not yet determined the cause of the 55-year-old’s death, police said. Officials said Tate couldn’t be held because he had no prior history of assault. Police have not yet disclosed the deceased man’s identity, pending family notification.
An attorney for Tate could not be identified. Calls and messages to Tate and a family member were not returned.
Transit crime is up slightly so far this year compared to the same period last year, but remains roughly in line with pre-pandemic levels.
Tagged
manhattan
new jersey
public safety
transportation
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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