{"id":225718,"date":"2026-05-09T14:32:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T14:32:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/225718\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T14:32:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T14:32:08","slug":"mamdani-orders-probe-of-bellevue-hospitals-psychiatric-policies-after-homeless-man-allegedly-murdered-senior-hours-after-discharge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/225718\/","title":{"rendered":"Mamdani orders probe of Bellevue Hospital\u2019s psychiatric policies after homeless man allegedly murdered senior hours after discharge"},"content":{"rendered":"

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FILE \u2013 Police at a crime scene in Manhattan.<\/p>\n

Photo by Dean Moses <\/p>\n

A homeless man booked on murder charges for allegedly shoving a man down a flight of stairs to his death in Chelsea<\/a> on Thursday had been discharged from Bellevue Hospital\u2019s psychiatric ward hours before the homicide, it was reported.<\/p>\n

The suspect, identified as 32-year-old Rhamell Burke, allegedly attacked 76-year-old Ross Falzone at the entrance to the 18th Street station in an unprovoked assault at 9:36 p.m. on May 7.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

Burke had allegedly committed the crime hours after being discharged from Bellevue, where he had been brought by police on Thursday afternoon for a psychiatric evaluation<\/a>. On Friday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani<\/a> ordered an investigation into how hospital administrators had allowed Burke to leave so quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am horrified by the killing of Ross Falzone and the circumstances that led to it. I extend my condolences to his loved ones,\u201d Mamdani said in a May 8 statement. \u201cNew Yorkers deserve answers. That is why I\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"entranceBellevue Hospital.Photo by Dean Moses<\/p>\n

Officers from the 13th Precinct<\/a> located Falzone at the station entrance located at the corner of West 18th Street and 7th Avenue after receiving a 911 call about the assault. The victim was unconscious and unresponsive; citing officials, ABC7<\/a> reported that Falzone had suffered a traumatic brain injury as well as a broken spine and rib.\u00a0<\/p>\n

EMS rushed him to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition; he would later die of his injuries.\n<\/p>\n

Sources familiar with the investigation said Burke was located at about 3:30 p.m. on May 8 on the uptown platform of the C\/E trains at the 34th Street-Penn Station stop. Transit police took him into custody without further incident.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Citing preliminary information from the NYPD, the Mayor\u2019s office said the suspect had been brought by police to Bellevue Hospital on Thursday afternoon for a psychiatric evaluation; published reports indicated cops picked him up acting erratically outside the 17th Precinct<\/a> stationhouse in Midtown.<\/p>\n

Burke remained at the hospital for about one hour before he was discharged.\u00a0The release occurred about five hours before Falzone was fatally attacked, the Mayor\u2019s office said.\n<\/p>\n

Upon receiving this information, Mamdani ordered NYC Health + Hospitals, which operates Bellevue, \u201cto conduct a root cause analysis\u201d and internally review the hospital\u2019s psychiatric evaluation procedures \u201cwith\u00a0a particular focus on protocols related to psychosis, crisis assessment and discharge decisions,\u201d according to the Mayor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n

Mamdani also asked the state Health Department to investigate the handling of Burke\u2019s evaluation and similar cases at Bellevue Hospital to identify any gaps or problems in the system. The Mayor\u2019s office said the state agency has agreed to launch a full-scale review.<\/p>\n

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