Manhattan prosecutors dropped the case Thursday against a New Jersey male model accused of delivering a fatal punch to a Penn Station subway rider, saying surveillance video supported his claim that he acted in self-defense.
The video showed Nassadir Tate, 22, striking 55-year-old Eweka Johnson only after Johnson first bumped into him and then lifted his fists as if preparing to fight on the uptown E train platform at Penn Station on March 14, prosecutors said.
Tate appeared to try to move around Johnson, but Johnson stepped into his path and raised his hands in a fighting stance, escalating the confrontation, according to the footage.
Tate — who identifies himself on LinkedIn as a “part-time model” and programmer — then punched Johnson once in the face before leaving the platform and placing a call that investigators later confirmed was to 911, prosecutors said.
About two minutes after the punch, Johnson’s knees gave way and he collapsed. He was later pronounced dead from a ruptured cerebral artery aneurysm caused by the blow, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said during the hearing.
Tate was arrested after the encounter and charged with assault.
He told police he punched Johnson once because he “feared for his physical safety,” prosecutors said, explaining that Tate believed a fight was about to break out.
At the time of the arrest, one of Tate’s relatives told The Post that he was a “good kid” who “never found trouble.”
“He’s not a troubled person. He’s not an instigator. He’s not a violent person,” the relative had said.
Tate’s attorney, Wayne Gosnell, did not immediately respond to request for comment.
