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| Man Is Charged With Pulling a Subway Emergency Brake. Is He the Subway Saboteur? | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
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| The case of the mysterious disruptions in the New York City subway system, caused by someone pulling emergency brakes, may have been solved: a man was arrested on Friday and charged in one of the incidents. | The case of the mysterious disruptions in the New York City subway system, caused by someone pulling emergency brakes, may have been solved: a man was arrested on Friday and charged in one of the incidents. |
| The police are now looking into whether he committed dozens of other similar acts in recent months that have upended the lives of thousands of riders. | The police are now looking into whether he committed dozens of other similar acts in recent months that have upended the lives of thousands of riders. |
| Isaiah Thompson, 23, of Brooklyn, was arrested 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. | Isaiah Thompson, 23, of Brooklyn, was arrested 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. | 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. |