A 76-year-old man died after police say he was pushed down the stairs at a Chelsea subway station Thursday night by a man who had been released from a psychiatric evaluation at Bellevue Hospital earlier in the day.
Police said Ross Falcone was pushed down the stairs by 32-year-old Rahmell Burke. Falcone died several hours later at a hospital.
What You Need To Know
Police say 76-year-old Ross Falcone died after being pushed down subway stairs in Chelsea Thursday night
The suspect, 32-year-old Rahmell Burke, had been released from a psychiatric evaluation at Bellevue Hospital hours earlier
Mayor Zohran Mamdani directed NYC Health + Hospitals to investigate the case and review discharge protocols
Mental health experts say hospitals often lack staffing and discharge planning resources for psychiatric patients
According to police, officers initially brought Burke to Bellevue Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation after he was seen behaving erratically outside a police station.
Police said Burke was released from Bellevue about an hour later. About five hours after his release, the subway incident took place.
Burke was arrested Friday and charged with murder.
NY1 reached out to NYC Health + Hospitals and have not received a response.
Police said Burke, who is homeless, has been charged multiple times this year, including on allegations of burglary, criminal possession of a weapon and harassment.
On Friday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement that he has “directed NYC Health + Hospitals to conduct both an immediate investigation on what steps should have been taken to prevent this tragedy and a comprehensive review of their psychiatric evaluation and discharge protocols.”
The New York State Department of Health also agreed to launch a review.
Dr. Sam Tsemberis, a clinical psychologist who trained at Bellevue Hospital and is a leader in homelessness advocacy, told NY1 that while he has not specifically reviewed this case, many people brought to hospitals involuntarily do not want to be hospitalized.
“When they are presented to the emergency room staff, they’re going to try and put their best foot forward. They’re going to, you know, not try and manage their symptoms, try and give all the right answers, especially if they’ve been in the hospital before and it’s been an unpleasant experience,” Tsemberis said.
Tsemberis also said hospitals generally need more staffing so workers have time to review each patient’s history and create proper discharge plans.
“An emphasis on where are you going after you leave here? The discharge planning is also missing because people are too narrowly focused on whether this person needs admission or not rather than what’s going to happen to them when they leave this emergency room,” he said.
Burke was arraigned in Manhattan criminal court Saturday. His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.