MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) — Police are looking for a man seen on video setting newspapers on fire inside a Manhattan subway station Monday evening.
The man threw the lit newspapers at people on the platform at the 33rd Street station near Park Avenue around 5:30 p.m., according to police. Many of those people were students.
It appears the man and the students were arguing, sources told PIX11 News, but it’s unclear why the incident escalated.
The incident was a topic of discussion during an NYPD news briefing. Assistant Chief Joseph Kenny said police are looking at the video as evidence.
Stephen Carlstorm witnessed what happened. He pulled out his cellphone and recorded the video. Carlstorm could be heard in the video asking onlookers to call 911.
“I believe his cigar, or whatever he used to light his cigar with, and he was throwing them in balls,” Carlstorm said.
None of the students were hurt. Police are looking for additional video in hopes of identifying the man.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
