Male model cleared of charges in fatal punching of NYC straphanger as video backs self defense claims: DA

Source: New York Post

A male model from New Jersey charged with delivering a fatal blow to a Penn Station straphanger had his case dropped Thursday — after video surveillance backed his claim that he was acting in self defense, Manhattan prosecutors said. The footage showed that suspect Nassadir Tate, 22, only slugged Eweka Johnson, 55, when Johnson first bumped into him and then raised his fists in a fighting motion on the uptown E train platform at Penn Station on March 14. Tate tried walking around Johnson -— but Johnson appeared to inflame the situation by stepping into Tate’s path and putting up his dukes in an effort to fight, the video shows.