NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — The MTA honored two NYPD officers Wednesday who rescued a visually impaired man who fell onto the subway tracks last week.
Police Officer Jason Macaluso and Detective Henry Greco were patrolling the Grant Street A train subway platform in Brooklyn on May 18 when they saw 61-year-old Suleiman Rifai fall face-first onto the tracks.
The two officers rushed to help the man as an A train approached the station.
“We did hear the train coming towards us at first and then we saw the light of a train coming,” said Greco. “I waved my arms and used my flashlight to wave down the train to slow it down.”
As Detective Greco assisted Rifai, Officer Macaulso spoke to him to help guide him back towards the platform.
“I felt he’d be comforted by the sound of my voice and used it to guide him towards us.”
Bodycam footage captured the whole ordeal as the officers are seen grabbing Rifai, pulling him to the platform and having him sit down on a nearby bench.
“I want to say thank you for the officers who rescued me last week,” said Rifai. “Without you I would never be here today, so I really am grateful for you being there at the right time. And when I heard your voices, I knew I would be okay. And I'm okay today and again from the bottom of my heart, you are my friends for life for saving my life. And I really appreciate you.”
Both officers are normally Neighborhood Coordination Officers but were assigned to patrol the subway as part of Mayor Adams’ Subway Safety plan which deploys officers from precincts around the city to subway stations.
“We’re housing cops,” said Macaluso. “Normally, we’re in buildings walking up and down stairs on patrol. We don’t have trains rolling towards us.”
The officers were both given “Hero of the Subway” commendations, the highest honor the MTA bestows on anyone who is not an employee of the MTA, during a ceremony with MTA CEO Janno Lieber.
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