A straphanger toting a Batman-inspired air pistol on a Manhattan train prompted another passenger to send out a distress signal Tuesday morning — leading to his swift arrest, cops said.
The eagle-eyed witness spotted the gun-wielding man aboard a 6 train around 10:15 a.m. and immediately notified a clerk at the Astor Place station, police said.
Cops quickly nabbed the man — who was allegedly carrying an air pistol decked out in Batman tape, photos taken by The Post show.
NYPD Transit officers holding a firearm recovered from a man in custody at the Astor Place uptown 6 train platform. William Farrington
Police say that a person riding the train spotted the gun and alerted the officer in the booth as soon as the train pulled into the Astor Place stop. William Farrington“A customer reported to the booth that there was somebody on the train with a gun,” a police spokesman said. “Police came and made the arrest.”
The 31-year-old was charged with possession of a firearm, a police spokesman said. It wasn’t immediately clear if the charge would be downgraded because the gun wasn’t the real thing, the rep said.
So far in 2021, there have been 4,431 gun arrests in the Big Apple, up nearly 6 percent from the 4,194 arrests last year, according to the latest NYPD data.
Police have yet to release the name of the man who was arrested in connection to the firearm. William Farrington
Police have not announced any charges against the suspect. William Farrington