Exclusive video: Man pulls out gun on subway in Manhattan after allegedly being threatened
NEW YORK -- Police say an incident on a subway train led to a passenger pulling out a gun Tuesday.
No shots were fired, but a witness told CBS2's Lisa Rozner riders ran for their lives and one man is under arrest.
Exclusive video shows one man on a parked southbound 6 train yelling "Shoot the gun" at another man on the subway platform with a gun in his left hand.
The NYPD says it happened at the 77th Street/Lexington Avenue station just before 1 p.m. Tuesday.
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A witness who did not want to give her name says moments earlier as the train was moving, people were running from one subway car to another.
"People were panicked, people were screaming because you never know, is it a mass shooter or is it just two people having an argument?" the witness said.
Police say the man with a gun is a 61-year-old retired sergeant who was defending himself after 24-year-old Mark Alexander, of Medford, Long Island, allegedly approached him unprovoked on the train and threatened "I'm going to do you" -- as in harm him -- and insinuated that he had a weapon.
The NYPD says the former sergeant exited the train and called 911 but that Alexander followed him and kept threatening him, so he pointed his gun at him. Police say no shots were fired but both men were taken into custody.
"The one good thing is that police officers did arrive very quickly," the witness said.
The witness, who is a military veteran, also tried to de-escalate the situation.
The NYPD says the ex-cop was released because he was defending himself. Alexander is charged with menacing, reckless endangerment and harassment. He has three prior arrests.
This comes as the latest numbers show that transit crime is up more than 11% from this time last year.
But the MTA says its latest numbers show ridership is also up 34% compared to last year.
In this case, the witness says the system needs to do better.
She did not ride the subway home after the incident but says she has no choice but to use it going forward to get around the city.
CBS2 did ask the MTA to explain what was being done to keep riders safe on the subway. A spokesperson referred us to the NYPD.
This month, the chief of transit did say there was an increase in arrests on the subway system, including gun arrests.
