A homeless man with a history of more than 50 arrests was charged on Sunday with stabbing a man aboard a Lower Manhattan subway train on New Year’s Day, police reported.
Jamar Banks, 52, who lives in a Brooklyn homeless shelter, was apprehended by the NYPD Warrant Squad at the 219th Street station in the Bronx around midnight on January 5. He was subsequently taken to Transit District 2 at the Canal Street station for questioning.
Banks is accused of engaging in an argument with a 35-year-old man aboard a northbound 2 train around 9:40 a.m. on January 1. During the altercation, he allegedly stabbed the victim in the back with a large knife.
The victim was rushed to Bellevue Hospital, where he received treatment and survived the attack.
Authorities have also linked Banks to a stabbing the following day. On January 2, a 47-year-old MTA worker was attacked on a northbound 5 train platform at the Pelham Parkway Station around 4:10 p.m. The worker sustained stab wounds to the armpit and back and was treated at Jacobi Hospital.
BREAKING: Suspect accused of two stabbings on NYC Subway, was arrested at another station while carrying a ‘large knife’.
— Resist Times (@resistupdates) January 5, 2025
He is now charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon.pic.twitter.com/GHEgfTLQnA
While police suspect Banks in this second incident, no charges have been filed against him for it as of yet.
Police sources revealed that Banks has a lengthy criminal record spanning over 50 arrests. Notable incidents include an October 2022 case in which Banks allegedly stabbed a man in the leg aboard a northbound 2 train, resulting in assault charges.
In April 2023, he was caught with a knife while shoplifting. His most recent arrest before the New Year’s Day incident was for petit larceny.
Banks was escorted out of Transit District 2 in handcuffs on Sunday afternoon. He refused to answer questions about his alleged crimes.
He currently faces charges of assault and criminal possession of a weapon, with additional charges pending as investigations into his suspected involvement in other attacks continue.