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| Suspect in Subway Brake Pullings Is Arrested | Suspect in Subway Brake Pullings Is Arrested |
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| A man has been arrested and accused of pulling a subway emergency brake and the police are investigating whether he is responsible for dozens of other similar acts in recent months that have wreaked havoc on riders’ lives. | A man has been arrested and accused of pulling a subway emergency brake and the police are investigating whether he is responsible for dozens of other similar acts in recent months that have wreaked havoc on riders’ lives. |
| The police announced the arrest early Friday of Isaiah Thompson, 23, of Brooklyn, on charges of reckless endangerment and criminal trespassing. Mr. Thompson was accused of riding on the back of a subway train on the No. 2 line on Tuesday in Manhattan and of activating the train’s brakes, the police said. | The police announced the arrest early Friday of Isaiah Thompson, 23, of Brooklyn, on charges of reckless endangerment and criminal trespassing. Mr. Thompson was accused of riding on the back of a subway train on the No. 2 line on Tuesday in Manhattan and of activating the train’s brakes, the police said. |
| Mr. Thompson may have also been responsible for another incident on May 16, which involved riding outside a B train and exposing himself to passengers on the platform, the police said. He was also charged with public lewdness for the second incident. | Mr. Thompson may have also been responsible for another incident on May 16, which involved riding outside a B train and exposing himself to passengers on the platform, the police said. He was also charged with public lewdness for the second incident. |
| Subway officials have said they believed the brake-pulling incident on Tuesday might have been tied to a broader pattern of mayhem in recent months in which one person — or possibly a group of people — had pulled the brakes on trains dozens of times, delaying hundreds of trains and affecting thousands of riders. | Subway officials have said they believed the brake-pulling incident on Tuesday might have been tied to a broader pattern of mayhem in recent months in which one person — or possibly a group of people — had pulled the brakes on trains dozens of times, delaying hundreds of trains and affecting thousands of riders. |
| It was not immediately clear if the police believed Mr. Thompson was solely responsible for the dozens of brake pullings or were still searching for other culprits. | It was not immediately clear if the police believed Mr. Thompson was solely responsible for the dozens of brake pullings or were still searching for other culprits. |
| The public hunt for the subway brake puller began this week. After reports of cascading rush-hour delays on the 2 and 3 lines in Manhattan on Tuesday night, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that it was the work of a repeat offender. | The public hunt for the subway brake puller began this week. After reports of cascading rush-hour delays on the 2 and 3 lines in Manhattan on Tuesday night, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said that it was the work of a repeat offender. |
| There had been internal reports going back months noting that a man had gained access to the controller’s chair at the rear of a train and had pulled the emergency brake. The New York Police Department said the saboteur had pulled about 40 emergency brakes since February. | |
| The subway’s leader, Andy Byford, called the behavior dangerous and the culprits “morons.” | The subway’s leader, Andy Byford, called the behavior dangerous and the culprits “morons.” |
| “It’s stupid,” Mr. Byford said this week. “It’s dangerous. It’s selfish. And it’s got to stop.” He also said he wanted to ban the culprit from the subway. | “It’s stupid,” Mr. Byford said this week. “It’s dangerous. It’s selfish. And it’s got to stop.” He also said he wanted to ban the culprit from the subway. |
| Subway officials said the culprit was endangering subway riders, track workers and himself. Riders on stalled trains could have a medical emergency, and subway tracks are notoriously dangerous because of the third rail, a steel column that carries 600 volts of electricity. After pulling a brake, the saboteur would flee onto the tracks. | Subway officials said the culprit was endangering subway riders, track workers and himself. Riders on stalled trains could have a medical emergency, and subway tracks are notoriously dangerous because of the third rail, a steel column that carries 600 volts of electricity. After pulling a brake, the saboteur would flee onto the tracks. |