Man Convicted After Woman Paralyzed From UES Subway Shoving, Prosecutors Say

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — A Queens man has been convicted of attempted murder and assault for pushing a woman into a departing train at the Lexington Avenue and 63rd Street station, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Tuesday.

According to Bragg, the 35-year-old woman was commuting to work when Kamal Semrade, 42, followed her off the train at 63rd Street and Lexington Avenue and shoved her into a moving subway car on the morning of May 21, 2023.

The impact caused her face and head to hit the train before she was thrown onto the platform, fracturing her spine. Since then, she has been paralyzed from the shoulders down, Bragg said.

The perpetrator returned to his Queens shelter that evening, where he was arrested two days later, after a shelter employee recognized him from the surveillance photos circulated by the NYPD.

"Kamal Semrade turned a moving train into a weapon that caused devastating, life-altering injuries," Bragg said. "A jury of his peers convicted him of forcefully shoving an unsuspecting commuter from behind – a subway rider’s worst nightmare."

Semrade was convicted of one count each of attempted murder in the second degree and assault in the first degree by a New York State Supreme Court jury, Bragg said.

"I thank the survivor for bravely recounting her story at trial, and our skilled prosecutors for presenting a compelling case to secure this conviction," Bragg said.

Semrade will be sentenced on May 6.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.