Steven Hutcherson, the 36-year-old man accused of the horrific stabbings at Grand Central Terminal on Christmas Day, has reportedly been involved in another violent incident.
Law enforcement sources have revealed that Hutcherson, who is currently facing attempted murder charges, allegedly attacked a fellow inmate at Rikers Island in New York with a ceramic blade in an unprovoked assault early Thursday morning.
The assault occurred around 8 a.m. at the Eric M. Taylor Center, formerly known as the Correctional Institution for Men, where Hutcherson was being held, as reported by the New York Post. Hutcherson is said to have unexpectedly assaulted a 43-year-old man who was resting nearby with a 1.5-inch ceramic blade. The victim suffered severe slash wounds on the left side of his face and head.
A correction officer swiftly intervened, using pepper spray to subdue Hutcherson. This quick action enabled immediate medical attention for the injured inmate, who was later transported to Elmhurst Hospital for further treatment.
Officials from the Department of Corrections confirmed that Hutcherson had been searched for weapons prior to the attack, and none were found. An investigation is currently underway to ascertain how Hutcherson obtained the weapon.
Despite Hutcherson's history of mental health issues, he had been cleared for placement in the general population at Rikers Island following a recent evaluation by mental health professionals. In the wake of this incident, Hutcherson has been moved to a segregated area of Rikers where he will be confined for 14 hours a day and kept separate from certain inmates.
The Gateway Pundit had previously reported that Hutcherson issued a racially charged threat before stabbing two teenage tourists, girls aged 14 and 16 from Paraguay. The attack occurred around 11:25 a.m. on Christmas Day in the Dining Concourse of Grand Central Terminal while the girls were dining with their parents. After an altercation with the staff of Tartinery, who told him he could not sit in the restaurants area, Hutcherson redirected his anger towards the young tourists.
Hutcherson reportedly shouted, I want all the white people dead, and then said, I want to sit next to the crackers, before he advanced towards the victims with a knife. He now faces serious charges including attempted murder, assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and endangering the welfare of a child. Authorities are also considering hate crime charges against him, in light of the statements he made during the incident.
Both girls were immediately taken to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The 16-year-old suffered a stab wound to her back, which slightly injured her lung, while the 14-year-old was stabbed in the thigh.
Records show that Hutcherson, 36, has a history of at least 17 prior arrests and numerous encounters with police for emotional disturbances, along with repeated violations of a restraining order from an ex-girlfriend who claimed he stalked her and threatened her life.
Hutcherson, who recently attacked two teenage tourists at Grand Central Terminal on Christmas morning, was released by a Bronx judge just weeks before the incident, despite his recent history of violent offenses, The Post reported.
Prosecutors had advocated for Hutchersons commitment to a psychiatric facility after he randomly threatened a person on a Bronx street last month. However, Judge Matthew Grieco opted for a conditional discharge, returning the habitual offender to the streets, according to court records.
Less than two weeks following the December 12 hearing, Hutcherson lost control at a restaurant in the historic Midtown terminal and engaged in a racially charged tirade and stabbed a 14-year-old girl and her 16-year-old sister.
A law enforcement source expressed frustration over the judges decision, suggesting that if Hutcherson had been detained, the two young tourists might have enjoyed a peaceful Christmas instead of experiencing what was termed an attempted murderous holiday.
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