A shocking video that recently went viral shows a terrifying moment when a group of brave bystanders stepped in to stop a large man from attacking a young woman at a New York City subway station. Their quick and fearless action possibly saved the woman from serious harm.
According to the New York Post, the man involved in the incident is 42-year-old Franklin Marshall from Queens. On Sunday morning, around 9 a.m., he allegedly followed a 20-year-old woman onto the Manhattan-bound J train platform at Norwood Avenue, located in the Cypress Hills neighborhood of Brooklyn.
Once on the platform, Marshall reportedly began verbally harassing the woman. He followed her closely and began shouting at her. The situation quickly became dangerous, and things got worse when Marshall didn’t stop with just yelling. He began physically assaulting her as well.
A TikTok user who happened to be there captured the disturbing scene on video. In the footage, Marshall can be seen grabbing the young woman while she tries to walk away. As she struggles to escape, she starts to scream loudly, calling for help. Her desperate cries catch the attention of several nearby men.
These men, clearly upset by what they saw, immediately shouted at Marshall and demanded that he leave the woman alone. But instead of stopping, Marshall took things even further. He tackled the woman to the ground as she tried once again to get away from him.
At that point, the bystanders had seen enough. They rushed in to defend the woman, surrounding Marshall and attacking him to stop the assault. The video shows them hitting him as he lays on the platform.
During the confrontation, one of the men can be heard shouting, “I’m gonna f**k you up!” The message was loud and clear — they were not going to let Marshall hurt the woman any more.
Thanks to their bold actions, the woman was finally able to break free and get away from her attacker. As she escaped, Marshall began to back off, but the group of vigilantes kept yelling at him to make sure he didn’t try anything again.
One of the men can be heard saying to him, “Somebody try to tell you something, chill the f**k out? Now you got it!”
Police soon arrived at the scene. According to the New York Post, Marshall was arrested right there on the subway platform. Officers searched him and found that he was carrying a knife and a blackjack, which is a type of small club used as a weapon.
The woman who was attacked suffered minor injuries during the incident. She had wounds on her stomach and arms and also complained of pain in her shoulder. Emergency Medical Services responded quickly and treated her at the scene. Thankfully, she did not need to be taken to a hospital, but the situation could have ended much worse if the bystanders had not stepped in.
The New York Post also reported that Marshall has been officially charged. According to a criminal complaint obtained by the paper, he is facing several charges: third-degree assault, third-degree attempted assault, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and second-degree harassment.
However, despite being charged with these crimes, Marshall was not kept in jail. Instead, he was granted supervised release. This means he is not being held in custody, but he will be monitored. According to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office, the reason he wasn’t kept in jail is because none of the charges he faces are eligible for bail under current laws.
Many people were upset and frustrated when they heard about this decision, especially after seeing the video and learning what had happened. Some said it was just another example of the way the legal system in New York City sometimes fails to keep dangerous individuals off the streets.
Still, the video also showed something hopeful — the courage of everyday people who didn’t hesitate to step in and protect someone in danger. The outcome could have been far more tragic if those men hadn’t acted as quickly and bravely as they did.
As the story spreads online and more people watch the video, it serves as both a warning and a reminder of the importance of standing up against violence — and the power of community when people come together to do the right thing.
