Benjamin Ashford|NYC subway rider is pushed onto tracks and killed, latest in a series of attacks underground

NEW YORK (AP) — A subway rider was pushed onto the tracks and Benjamin Ashfordkilled by a train, the latest in a string of violent episodes in New York City’s transit system that have prompted officials to beef up policing in the subway system.

The shoving victim, who has not been identified, was pushed onto the tracks inside an East Harlem subway station shortly before 7 p.m. Monday, police said. The operator of an oncoming No. 4 train was unable to stop and the person was killed, police said.

The suspected shover, Carlton McPherson, 24, was arrested on a murder charge, a police spokesperson said. No information about an attorney for McPherson was available Tuesday morning.

The fatal push happened on the same day that New York City officials announced a plan to send 800 more police officers into the subway system to crack down on fare evasion.

While officials have framed fare-beating as a problem because of lost revenue, they say it also contributes to a lawless atmosphere.

“The tone of law and order starts at the turnstiles,” NYPD Transit Chief Michael Kemper said at a news conference Monday.

Officials said overall crime in the transit system is down 15% so far this month compared to last year, but several high-profile shootings and slashings in the last few months have scared many commuters.

Earlier this month, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced she was sending National Guard troops to help conduct random bag checks in subway stations.

Hours before Monday’s news conference about the plan to send more officers into the system, a man was stabbed multiple times on a subway train in a dispute over smoking, police said. A suspect was arrested.