Mayor Mamdani Pledged to Move Away from Criminalization. The Data Tells a Different Story.
“I remember waking up, and I remember being dragged,” said Chris Madigan. The 44-year-old Bronx native was taking refuge in the 86th Street station ahead of a blizzard. Hours before the city saw two feet of snow, he was escorted out of the station in handcuffs. Two officers removed him from the subway car, then told him he could not lie on a bench in the station either.
Video footage showed Madigan tell police, “There’s nowhere to f—ing go.” When an officer responded he could have gone to another station, Madigan looked over his shoulder and spit in the officer’s direction. He was charged with aggravated harassment and taken into custody. The officers were seen dragging him across the floor, cuffing him, and then escorting him above ground.
Madigan said his feet were so cold they hurt. He’s been sleeping on benches and on friends’ couches for several years…