Video shows man smearing human faeces on woman's face at NYC subway

CCTV footage shows a man allegedly smearing human faeces on a woman's face on the southbound platform of the Wakefield–241st Street subway station in The Bronx.

The incident reportedly happened last week Monday, Feb. 21, around 5:00 p.m. Video footage released by the New York City Police Department on Sunday showed the unsuspecting victim sitting on a bench waiting for her train when the suspect approached her.

The video showed him carrying what appeared to be a black plastic bag. He then threw the bag in the woman's face and when she buckled forward, he placed the bag on the back of her head before he fled the scene. It is not clear whether the faeces were his.

The incident raised questions over subway safety, with netizens sharing their concerns on social media. One wrote, "Imagine having to rely on public transportation sitting at the subway waiting for your train and a sicko black man comes up and stuffs his human shit in your face. That is what Americans are faced with."

Another commented, "It's a clear picture. Someone, family, friends know this dude, he needs help, do the right thing before he's capped or pushed on the tracks, or vice versa." One more chimed in, "Tell me again why I should trust the @MTA ⁦@NYCTSubway⁩ and ⁦@NYCMayor⁩ that the subway is safe? This is - quite literally - a shitshow, and it's not getting better."

According to the New York Post, police have already arrested the suspect, now identified as 37-year-old Frank Abrokwa. He was brought to the station and charged with forcible touching, menacing, disorderly conduct, and harassment.

The authorities did not mention if there was any motive involved in the attack. Mayor Eric Adams said the man must be dealing with some mental health issues to have done something that disturbing. He called it a "horrific experience for anyone to go through" during a press conference on Monday afternoon. He said, "Human waste or someone spitting in your face, those are real signs of mental health issues ... and we really must dig into how we're dealing with these mental health issues."