Martial Simon: Man who shoved Michelle Go into oncoming train WILL NOT stand trial! Here's why
Martial Simon, the homeless man who shoved Michelle Go into an oncoming train at the Times Square-42nd Street subway station, leading to her death, is mentally unfit to stand trial, as per court officials. The psychiatrists at Bellevue Hospital made this decision about the 61-year-old after a medical evaluation.
"The report was filed by the psychiatrist that found that he was found unfit," Mitchell Schuman, of the New York County Defenders, told The Daily News. 40-year-old Go, who was a Deloitte employee, was shoved into the path of an oncoming train by Simon on January 15. As per reports, Simon, a homeless, walked up behind Go around 9:40 am while she waited to board a train before pushing her into the path of an oncoming train. Later, he admitted to killing her and was arrested, while he ranted that he was God and was allowed to do it. Martial has been held at Bellevue in Manhattan since his arrest and did not appear in court on Tuesday, March 22.
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40-year-old Michelle Go was killed when she was shoved in front of an oncoming train yesterday. She was an employee at Deloitte. Vigil planned for her this week. Simon Martial is still awaiting arraignment. He is undergoing psychiatric evaluation at the hospital. pic.twitter.com/tEtjrQkLHE
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) January 16, 2022
UPDATE: 61YO Simon Martial charged with murder; still awaiting arraignment. He is homeless. NOT being treated as hate crime. He went after another target first (not Asian) before shoving 40-year-old Asian woman into oncoming train. Michelle Go had volunteered to help the homeless pic.twitter.com/1FiAvxWKo4
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) January 17, 2022
Simon, who has previously served two stints in state prison for robbery and attempted robbery, has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The New York Post reports that, as per Simon's family members, he has cycled in and out of mental hospitals for more than 20 years. Prosecutors requested two weeks to review Simon's mental-health evaluation, and the case has been adjourned until April 19.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office says Simon Martial, accused of killing Michelle Go after shoving her into an oncoming train, has been found unfit to stand trial. The ADA requested two weeks to review, and the case was adjourned to 4/19.
— CeFaan Kim (@CeFaanKim) March 23, 2022
Simon had been arrested 10 times since 1998 and was briefly incarcerated after a 2018 robbery of a taxi driver in Greenwich Village for which he was placed on parole that expired last year. Schuman revealed that his client has been hospitalized for mental illness 24 times. Although it's unclear whether Simon chose his victim because of her race, one cannot ignore the statistics. Hate crimes against Asians increased from 27 in 2020 to 131 in 2021, according to the New York Police Department.
Large crowds gathered on January 18, in Times Square, to honor Michelle Go who was killed when she was pushed in front of a subway train.
— NPR (@NPR) January 19, 2022
61-year-old Simon Martial was arrested and charged in relation to Go’s murder, after he turned himself into police, according to the NYPD. pic.twitter.com/hGbwANDSfR
Jo-Ann Yoo of the Asian American Federation said, "Our heart goes out to Michelle Go's family for the trauma they have to relive as this case makes its way through the legal system. This case, and so many others that involve mentally ill perpetrators, only reinforces the urgent and immediate need for our City's elected leaders to increase their investment in mental health resources for all communities of color."
At Michelle Go’s vigil, Congresswoman Grace Meng said during her speech “Asians need to stand up for other people. We don’t always do that!” And the nearly all-Asian audience clapped.
— Boba Cyclist 정 (@Tellythecairn) March 15, 2022
This is what Asian advocacy looks like. It’s built on self-effacement and victim-blaming.
"It is with deep sadness that we share the news that our colleague, Michelle Go, lost her life in an unthinkable tragedy. Michelle, a Consulting senior manager, was killed when a stranger inexplicably pushed her in front of an oncoming NYC subway train. We are shocked and profoundly saddened by the devastating loss of our colleague in this senseless and horrific act of violence. Our hearts go out to Michelle’s family and friends and we are doing all we can to support them during this terribly painful time. All of us in the Deloitte family are hurting right now, and we have seen a particularly strong outpouring from members of our New York City community and members of our Asian community," reads Deloitte's statement.
Meanwhile, after Go's death, NYC Mayor Eric Adams said, "We're going to make sure New Yorkers feel safe in our subway system. And they don't feel that way now. I don't feel that way when I take the train every day, or when I'm moving throughout our transportation system."
NOW IN TIMES SQUARE: @NYCMayor joins New Yorkers to mourn the loss of Michelle Alyssa Go. https://t.co/lu2LlxIhfK
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) January 18, 2022