The man convicted of pushing a woman into a moving subway car, leaving her paralyzed, will be sentenced Wednesday in Manhattan.
A jury found Kamal Semrade, 42, guilty of pushing Emine Ozsoy, 35, at the Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street station in May 2023.
Prosecutors said Semrade walked right behind Ozsoy and shoved her by the head and neck during the unprovoked attack. Ozsoy’s face and head hit the train, and she was flung back onto the platform. She fractured her spine and was paralysed from the shoulders down.
After, he left the station and returned to his shelter. Then, he placed the clothes he was wearing out for laundry service. He was arrested two days later.
He was convicted of second-degree attempted murder and first-degree assault.
Prosecutors said Semrade had no prior record.
“Subway rider’s worst nightmare”
“Kamal Semrade turned a moving train into a weapon that caused devastating, life-altering injuries,” said District Attorney Bragg. “A jury of his peers convicted him of forcefully shoving an unsuspecting commuter from behind – a subway rider’s worst nightmare.”
“Horrible thing, sick person. This guy is mental,” Ozsoy’s relative previously said.
Subway crime is down since 2023
The NYPD’s CompStat crime tracking system shows transit crime is down 2.3% from last year and down 17.8% from last month. In 2025, overall crime on transit decreased in all categories except for felony assaults.
Subway crime was also at the lowest level in 16 years, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in December.
Platform barriers have also been installed at more than 100 subway stations across the city.