Mayor Adams, NYPD honor those who helped catch Brooklyn subway shooting suspect
NEW YORK -- One week after the largest mass shooting in the history of the city's subway system, the police officers and everyday people who stepped up to help others were honored.
CBS2's Lisa Rozner has more on Wednesday's ceremony and an update on one of the wounded passengers.
As police and five civilians were given proclamations for helping track down and arrest the suspect in the April 12 shooting in Sunset Park, 27-year-old Houari Benkada was bedridden, recovering from a bullet that went through his right knee while he on the N train.
"I was thinking it was going to be a normal day on my way to work," Benkada said.
And now?
"I will walk hopefully again. Yeah, it's just a matter of time now," Benkada said.
Twenty four hours after the attack, as Benkada recovered from surgery in the hospital, there was a massive manhunt for the suspect.
"Officers helped rescue the wounded and continued working to gather evidence, identify the suspect, and build a case," Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said. "To connect a key to a van, that van to a name, and picture to a person of interest."
The next day, police say five civilians played a major role in leading cops to the suspect in the east village, like 17-year-old Jack Griffin, who tweeted about spotting him.
"I saw Frank James sitting on a bench and from there I got out my camera and I took one photo," Griffin said.
The NYPD said at least three others personally flagged down police, including Zack Tahann.
"Yes, you could have done the arrest yourself, man," Mayor Eric Adams said.
"I recognize him right away," Francisco Puebla said.
"We saw the picture so we knew it. We didn't expect he'd be walking around us on regular day in middle of city. Unbelievalbe," Mohammad Cheikh said.
There were many heroes the day of the attack and Benkada said for him it was the firefighters that he would like to thank.
"When I got off the train station they helped me to the street level," Benkada said.
Benkada said he now has thousands of dollars in medical bills to pay, and hopes to return to work. Even though the suspect has been apprehended, he says he will never ride the subway again.
