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NYPD says Chelsea killing suspect was taken for psych eval hours earlier
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Charles Lane
Published May 8, 2026
Modified May 8, 2026
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Alexandra Schuler/picture alliance via Getty Images
By
Brittany Kriegstein
and
Charles Lane
Published May 8, 2026
Modified May 8, 2026
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NYPD officials say they believe the man who pushed a 76-year-old apparent stranger down a flight of stairs in Chelsea Thursday, killing him, had been taken to Bellevue Hospital just hours earlier for acting erratically outside a police station.
NYPD officials said Ross Falzone was heading into the subway station at West 18th Street and Seventh Avenue around 9:30 p.m. when a man ran up to him from behind and pushed him down the steps. Police Friday arrested Rhamell Burke, 32, in connection with the assault but had not yet announced any charges as of early evening.
Falzone suffered a fractured spine and a traumatic brain injury, authorities said. He was unconscious when officers arrived at the scene in response to multiple 911 calls from witnesses, police said.
First responders took him to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition, and he died there several hours later, police said.
Falzone lived on the Upper West Side, according to the NYPD.
Officials said the suspect they later identified as Burke fled the scene after the attack. They said they believe the men did not know each other.
Police said Burke was briefly taken into custody around 3:30 p.m. Thursday after acting erratically outside the NYPD’s 17th Precinct stationhouse near East 51st Street and Third Avenue in Midtown. Officials said he at one point grabbed a stick out of a garbage can and held it to his side for several seconds as officers told him to put it down.
The officers took Burke to the emergency room at Bellevue Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, and he was released from the hospital around 4:30 p.m, police said. They were still investigating where he went afterward, before allegedly assaulting Falzone.
Kenji Asazuma, the building manager at Falzone's apartment building on West 85th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, described him as a quiet man who lived alone in a rent-stabilized apartment and recently had some hip or neck surgery.
“We were worried about him because he’s walking up and down [the stairs],” said Asazuma, who confirmed Falzone lived on the third floor. “He’s a nice man … you know, likeable.”
NYPD data shows Falzone’s death is the first reported homicide of the year in the 13th Precinct, which covers parts of Chelsea as well as StuyTown, Gramercy Park, Madison Square Park and Union Square. The precinct recorded two homicides in all of 2025, the data shows.
Felony assaults in the precinct are on the rise so far this year, with about 10 more reported through May 3 than in the same timeframe last year, according to the data. Citywide, homicides and felony assaults have dropped 29% and just over 1%, respectively, year to date.
This story has been updated with more information.
Tagged
Chelsea
manhattan
new york city
public safety
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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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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