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The Mayor of New York City, Eric Adams said he plans to step up mental health assistance in subways in the wake of the killing of Michelle Alyssa Go. She was pushed in front of an oncoming subway train by a man with a reported mental health history. Alyssa Go was a 40-year-old Asian American woman and was standing on the platform inside the Times Square subway station on Saturday morning when 61-year-old Simon Martial pushed her in front of an R train as it rolled in. She did not survive the impact. Martial was charged with second-degree murder. On Wednesday, a Manhattan judge ordered him held without bail and required that he undergo a mental health evaluation to determine whether he is mentally fit.

The officials have earlier pointed out that police documented three emotionally disturbing encounters with Martial in the past. Mayor Adams said the city’s hands are tied a lot in what they can do in response to a disruptive person or someone in crisis in the subway system. He said, “We have to do a better job in having those who are disruptive on this system, appear to have real mental health crises to give them the services they need and not leave them on the system. There are certain ways in which to have a person removed from the subway system, but it’s a very delicate balance”. Adams said he has had conversations with Gov. Kathy Hochul about having more mental health professionals deployed in the subway stations.

The mayor added, “As soon as that officer identifies there’s someone at the 42nd Street Station that appears to have a mental health issue, we need to get people there right away. That’s the next level of evolution that’s there. We don’t want this to be just police but we need to get the mental health professionals responding in a faster manner, and right now, I don’t think we’re doing a good enough job of doing so”. Adams said he has felt unsafe at times in the subway system. He said, “On day one, I took the subway system, I felt unsafe. I saw homeless everywhere. People were yelling on the trains. There was a feeling of disorder. So as we deal with the crime problem, we also have to deal with the fact people feel unsafe”.