An MTA subway operator is “fighting for his life” after he was stabbed multiple times Tuesday morning in Brooklyn by a transit recidivist, union officials said.
Myran Pollack, 60, who’s set to retire soon, was knifed in the stomach and leg during a dispute with a man who refused to leave the train at the last stop, Crown Heights-Utica Avenue, just before 11 a.m., according to police.
The 31-year MTA veteran was attempting to clean the rail car when he got into an argument with the passenger, who then followed Pollack onto the 4 train southbound platform and stabbed him twice, police said.
MTA Security Chief Michael Kemper said that officers already in the station intervened while the 27-year-old assailant was still on top of Pollack.
Cops arrested the train operator’s alleged attacker, Jonathan Davalos, and charged him with attempted murder, assault and menacing.
According to Kemper, Davalos has an extensive criminal history.
He was previously convicted of assaulting an MTA operator and slashing a customer, for which he was released from jail in February, MTA officials said, adding that Davalos uses the transit system “for evil.”
“We got to find a way to get people like this perpetrator out of the public space, out of the subways, so they don’t attack people again and again,” MTA CEO Janno Lieber said on Tuesday.
“Crime is down but recidivism has a disproportionate impact on New Yorkers.”
Richard Davis, president of TWU Local 100, said the victim — who planned to hand in his retirement papers soon — is “fighting for his life” after being taken to Kings County Hospital.
“This has to stop. The policies, the lawmakers have to change. The transit policies have to change,” Davis said.
“Our members come to work every single day to come to work without blood on their hands, blood on their shirt, blood on their bodies, and they go home like that. It’s not correct. It’s not right. The politicians, the Transit Authority, the judges cannot continue to let these people out of jail. It’s a continuous cycle,” he said.
Tuesday’s underground violence happened as the NYPD announced an 8.7% decrease in transit crime in September.
While officials noted progress has been made — citing that transit crime has dipped 12% from where it was before COVID — they said there is still a large number of crimes taking place by repeat offenders.
“We appeal to the criminal justice system to address this challenge,” Lieber said.
“We have to find a way for the criminal justice system to be able to protect New Yorkers, especially transit riders, against people who want to do harm to them again and again.”
Pollack remains in critical condition after undergoing surgery, officials said.
