NEW YORK (WABC)– The MTA suspended its Eagle Team fare enforcement unit after a violent encounter in the Bronx came to light, increasing scrutiny of the team’s tactics.
The decision came after video showed a man being dragged off a city bus and “almost slammed” by members of the MTA’s Eagle Team after he allegedly threw an elbow and brandished a knife. The incident was described as the last problematic encounter involving the unit.
Kyle Taylor, who was involved in a separate confrontation with the fare enforcement team, said suspending the unit doesn’t go far enough.
“Is that justification? No. Because the people who did this to me are just suspended. Nothing happens to them, but yet I suffer every night,” Taylor said.
Taylor claims he paid for his ticket on October 6 when he was stopped in Brooklyn and asked to show proof of payment. According to him, the confrontation escalated, leaving him unconscious.
“If I had gotten my hands on it, I’d be in jail. Seven years, right?” Taylor said.
The other violent clash occurred in the Bronx in August. According to MTA leaders, the incident was not reported to the agency at the time and officials were not informed of it until Thursday. This prompted MTA President Janno Lieber to suspend the Eagle team’s field operations.
“I don’t want to keep our teams active on the field until I’m sure all protocols are being followed,” Lieber said.
The Eagle Team’s role is to combat fare evasion, which the station’s investigative team estimates cost the city nearly $1 billion last year.
The MTA said it would review the entire operation. If the agency decides to reinstate Eagle Team, activists say additional accountability measures are needed, including legislation requiring team members to wear body cameras.
“The only thing the city respects is lawsuits. That’s why we filed a $25 million lawsuit,” said civil rights activist Rev. Kevin McCall.
Taylor said he plans to continue pursuing his case whether the Eagle team returns or not.
“It’s sad in this day and age that I have to go through this and have to pay my ticket,” he said.
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