An elderly man who narrowly escaped a stabbing at a Manhattan subway station has spoken out from his hospital bed, expressing concern that such crimes will deter visitors from coming to the city. Iqbal Ahmed, a 76-year-old immigrant from Pakistan, was attacked by a panhandler at the Herald Square subway station. Ahmed is expected to remain hospitalized for several more days,
The incident occurred on Sunday night when Ahmed, a travel agent, was on his way home to Brooklyn. As he descended the stairs, he was approached by David Trotman, a 38-year-old man with a criminal record. Trotman demanded money from Ahmed, and when he refused, he was stabbed in the left shoulder. The blade narrowly missed his heart. Ahmed stumbled down the stairs, only realizing the severity of his injury when he saw blood pouring from his shoulder.
Ahmed managed to reach an MTA booth, where an employee called 911. He was then transported to the hospital for surgery. Meanwhile, Trotman was arrested the following day after allegedly assaulting another man on a northbound A train. He now faces assault charges for both subway attacks.
Ahmed, who typically avoids the subway entrance he used that night, explained that he had to drop off mail in a USPS box before catching the F train home. He expressed frustration that he didn’t even get the chance to complete this simple task before the attack occurred. Doctors have informed Ahmed that he may need to spend up to four more days in the hospital before being discharged.
Trotman, the alleged attacker, also faces charges for a separate incident on July 12th, where he allegedly groped a 21-year-old woman near Wall Street. Online records indicate that Trotman has a history of criminal activity, including damaging property and trespassing. When he was taken into custody, he launched into a profanity-laden tirade and made derogatory remarks about white people.