United States Air Force veteran Richard Williams has died at 83 after being pushed onto subway tracks in New York City. Police say the suspect, a man who had previously been deported multiple times, carried out the attack.
The incident happened on March 10 on the Upper East Side. According to the NYPD, 34-year-old Bairon Posada-Hernandez, a Honduran national, shoved Williams and another man, Jhon Rodriguez, onto the tracks as they waited for a train. Authorities described the attack as random.
Rodriguez later said that after the fall, he saw Williams bleeding from the head. Williams, a father of three and grandfather of two, was hospitalized in critical condition and remained there for weeks. His family said he was fighting to survive, but he ultimately died from his injuries.
OUTRAGE: An 83-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran and grandfather, Richard Williams, has tragically died from his injuries after a four-time deported Honduran illegal alien with 15 prior arrests randomly shoved him onto the New York City subway tracks, according to The New York… pic.twitter.com/KW3ztvpz5O
— RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) March 26, 2026
Posada-Hernandez was initially charged with attempted murder. Following Williams’ death, prosecutors have upgraded the charges to second-degree murder.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement had urged New York City officials to ensure the suspect would be turned over to federal custody rather than released.
According to ICE, Posada-Hernandez first entered the United States in 2008 and was deported four times to Honduras. At some point after his last removal in 2020, he reentered the country again.
Authorities say his criminal record in the U.S. includes 15 prior charges, ranging from assault and domestic violence to drug possession, weapons charges, and obstruction of police.
