Last night, the evening commute was interrupted on the 1/2/3 subway lines when a prisoner escaped custody and dashed into a subway station. The NYPD even asked the MTA to shut down train service so they could search for him along the 7th Avenue line! A witness said, "All the cops pretty much jumped out of their cars and ran down into any subway entrance they could find."
According to NBC New York, "The unidentified suspect was being taken to central booking quarters in lower Manhattan on drug charges when he escaped from the police van on Hudson and Christopher Street, law enforcement sources said."
Then he ran into the Christopher Street 1 station—causing all sorts of drama:
Some shits going down at Christopher street. Tons of cops at the subway.
— Marissa Levy Lerer (@marissalevy) September 14, 2012
Christopher Street and Sheridan Square 1 Train (Uptown Side) .... what happened? twitter.com/rocky_nash/sta…
— Rocky Nash (@rocky_nash) September 14, 2012
Escaped prisoner ran into the subway tunnel at Seventh Ave and Christopher Streetyfrog.com/h3uqluuj
— rick ho (@rickhodesigns) September 14, 2012
SWAT TEAM is out at Christopher Street station
— Marisa (@marisasimone) September 14, 2012
Whoa, dozens of police and guys in suits closing down the Christopher St. Subway station. Scary. #MTA #NYC
— Dan Kressman (@thedantaylor) September 15, 2012
360 degrees of crimescene tape around the Christopher Street subway stop and a guy asks a cop "is this station open?"
— Sarah Maslin Nir (@SarahMaslinNir) September 14, 2012
The suspect, who had been arrested for marijuana dealing, was eventually re-arrested at Lexington and 22nd Street. It's believed that he traveled along the tracks (whether by subway or by foot is unclear)—and one witness told the Post, "He came out of the manhole cover. He pushed it out and they just came running, 30 or 40 cops."
Subway service along the 1/2/3 was out for over an hour while the 4/5/6 was temporarily shut down.