An accidental bump on the stairs of Manhattan's West 4th Street/Washington Square subway station led to one thrown beverage can -- and then a retaliative attack with a large knife -- in the latest string of violent transit incidents.
The 28-year-old victim was among three men who passed another man on the stairs leading to the A/C platform around 8 p.m. Sunday when cops say they made incidental physical contact. An argument began and the victim threw a can.
That part was caught on subway surveillance cameras -- and so was the moment the unidentified man by himself pulled out a large knife and slashed the 28-year-old in the hand. The suspect then fled on a northbound A or C train.
The victim is expected to be OK. The other two people with him weren't hurt.
Police released surveillance video of the attack (above). Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Sunday's incident was just the latest in a series of now more than a dozen violent crimes in the subway system since Mayor Eric Adams debuted his new safety initiative less than three weeks ago.
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Major transit crimes are up 30% week over week, according to police data out Wednesday -- and more than 200% over the same week last year.
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Some of the recent cases have been particularly gruesome, including a hammer attack and robbery that left a city employee in critical condition late last month and a man seen on video smearing feces on a woman in an apparent hate attack.
Arrests have been made in both those cases, but the man in the latter case is now out on supervised release, officials said a day ago.
Adams didn't take questions on subway crime at an unrelated briefing Thursday.
