Rhamell Burke Released in Metro Hours Before Subway Killing
Rhamell Burke was released from Bellevue Hospital about an hour after police brought him in on Thursday, then allegedly fatally attacked Ross Falzone about five hours later at a Chelsea subway station. The timeline has put metro hours under scrutiny as city leaders press for a review of psychiatric evaluation and discharge practices.
Bellevue Hospital Release
Police brought Burke, 32, to Bellevue Hospital around 3:30 p.m. Thursday as an emotionally disturbed person, and the hospital released him around 4:40 p.m. Thursday. He was still wearing his hospital bracelet when the alleged assault occurred, according to police. Falzone was 76 years old.
The short gap between the release and the killing is the detail now driving the city response. Burke had been arrested four times since February, and police said the attack came about five hours after he left Bellevue.
Mamdanis Friday Review
On Friday, Mayor Mamdani called on the city’s hospital system to investigate how the tragedy could have been prevented. He also called for a comprehensive review of psychiatric evaluation and discharge protocols.
That order keeps the focus on intake and discharge decisions rather than only on the attack itself. For people who are brought to a hospital after police intervention, the city review could affect how quickly they are evaluated and what happens before they are sent back out.
Menin And Schulman Probe
On Saturday, Council Speaker Julie Menin and Councilmember Lynn Schulman called on NYC Health + Hospitals to conduct a thorough probe. Menin said, “My heart goes out to the family of Ross Falzone over this senseless death,” and added, “NYC Health + Hospitals must conduct a full review of its intake and release of the suspect and make any necessary changes to prevent this kind of tragedy from occurring in the future.”
Carolyn D. Gorman, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute, said, “It was the quintessential preventable tragedy,” and added, “There’s a lack of [patient] beds, and there’s a lack of willingness to hold individuals, whether in a locked psychiatric facility … or in a locked jail or prison.” Phil Wong said the case was another example of New York City’s revolving door system failing the public, and said dangerous individuals with long criminal histories and severe mental health issues are released right back onto the streets.
For riders, the immediate issue is not a new rule but a citywide review of how a person can be taken in, released, and then reappear in the subway system hours later. The city’s next step is the review Mamdani ordered, along with the probe Menin and Schulman demanded from NYC Health + Hospitals.
