Manhattan prosecutors on Thursday dropped assault charges against Nassadir Tate, 22, a model from New Jersey, in connection with the fatal punching of Eweka Johnson, 55, at Penn Station. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office cited video surveillance footage that appeared to corroborate Tate’s assertion of self-defense.
The incident occurred on March 14 on the uptown E train platform at Penn Station. According to prosecutors, the video showed that Johnson initiated the physical confrontation by bumping into Tate and then raising his fists. Tate, who is also a programmer, attempted to walk away from Johnson, but Johnson reportedly stepped into his path and made a motion to fight.
At that point, Tate struck Johnson once in the face before leaving the scene and calling 911. Prosecutors verified that Tate’s call was indeed to emergency services.
Johnson collapsed to the ground approximately two minutes after being struck and was later pronounced dead. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office stated that Johnson died from a ruptured cerebral artery aneurysm caused by the punch.
Tate was arrested and charged with assault. He told police at the time that he punched Johnson because he feared for his physical safety and believed a fight was imminent.
A relative of Tate had described him as a "good kid" who was not a troublemaker or an instigator. Tate's attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.