A good Samaritan who tried to de-escalate a Jordan Neely-type situation with words instead found himself with a lengthy knife wound running down his cheek.
The ordeal happened on May 10th aboard the southbound C train in Brooklyn, according to an exclusive report from the New York Post.
Sitting aboard the train was Gideon Moncrieffe, 44, described by the Post as “the global head of event production at TikTok.”
He was en route home after having grabbed dinner with a friend when he noticed ex-con Sean Lewis, 33, “squabbling with an older drunk man, who fell to the floor during the spat, although Moncrieffe said he didn’t know if the man was pushed or toppled over when the train lurched,” according to the Post.
Moncrieffe responded to what he saw by intervening and asking Lewis if he was OK.
“When I saw that all I thought about was Jordan Neely and I thought I just didn’t want this to escalate. I didn’t want someone else to get killed or hurt,” he recalled to the Post.
Reddit user warned NYC subway riders in 2013 to avoid the ‘Michael Jackson dude’ at all costs https://t.co/nrEG0Xit11 pic.twitter.com/tPqOIGOoVy
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) May 8, 2023
But guess what happened? Lewis shoved him.
Moncrieffe then tried again to reason with Lewis.
“I said look, somebody was killed on the train two weeks ago. They were choked out because someone proceeded to be aggressive. I said I don’t know you, but I love and respect you. You’re a young black man. You look like me. I just want to make sure you get home safe,” he recalled.
Not surprisingly, the strategy of trying to relate to and appease the criminal didn’t work.
“He then said to me, ‘Yeah you don’t know me, but I’m going to make sure you remember me,'” Moncrieffe recalled.
Moncrieffe then “retreated to the further end of the car with his back to the door” and moments later felt a tap on the shoulder when the train doors opened at the next stop. He then turned around and discovered Lewis standing there.
“He says ‘Thank you,’… and as he says ‘Thank you’ he slashes me down my face,” Moncrieffe recalled.
“Moncrieffe could no longer see out of his left eye as the blood poured from his face, never saw the weapon,” according to the Post.
This is terrible! Gideon Moncrieffe was trying to help a woman on subway during a verbal altercation. Please if you can.
Fundraiser by Kristen Carter : Attacked Good Samaritan of NYC Subway Needs Help https://t.co/BwbtPcS721
— Tiffany Thomas (@TALENTEDTHOMAS) June 7, 2023
He then reportedly started screaming at other passengers to remain aboard the train, lest Lewis attack them as well.
“Eventually, he made his way up the platform to the front of the train, where passengers helped him up the stairs and police took him to Kings County Hospital. Lewis was arrested eight days later after police released surveillance footage from the station,” the Post notes.
After Lewis’ arrest, Moncrieffe discovered that he’d recently been released from jail without bail only days “after he had been arrested and charged with strangulation, assault, harassment, and other counts stemming from an arrest on April 10th, after he allegedly choked his girlfriend and threatened her with a knife.”
“Lewis had been previously been arrested for shoving his girlfriend into a window in January and was also cuffed for misdemeanor assault after attacking an employee at a homeless shelter in August 2022, but he took a plea deal and was convicted of disorderly conduct in November, according to a law enforcement source,” the Post notes.
It turns out Lewis’ record stretches back to 2016 and includes fare evasion, robbery, and of course the assault & strangulation from earlier this year.
Las Vegas stabbing suspect identified, allegedly in the country illegally and has criminal history https://t.co/yGXgXHM10R pic.twitter.com/0PJR5LTvq2
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) October 8, 2022
Thankfully, Lewis was eventually indicted on May 26th on multiple counts of felony assault. While testifying before a grand jury, Moncrieffe reportedly broke down in tears after he was exposed to photos of his injury for the first time.
“That’s the first time I saw how deep the cut was and how big my face was, so I just broke down on the stand,” he recalled.
Here’s where the story takes a disappointing turn.
“Brooklyn District Attorney’s requested to have Lewis held on $50,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond, but Judge Patrick Hayes Lewis instead set bail at just $7,500,” according to the Post.
Moncrieffe was not pleased.
“If someone does step forward and bail him out for just $7,500, I think that’s just ridiculous. His crimes have only gotten worse,” he said.
According to Moncrieffe, the cut to his face runs so deep that he can’t smile, laugh, or cry without pain. He’s also at the point now where he’s not sure he’ll ever ride the New York City subway again.
“I won’t feel comfortable and will have extreme anxiety going on the train. It’s just not safe. It sucks and at the end of the day, we deserve to get to and from without someone attacking us just because,” he said.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.