A career criminal accused of pummeling an elderly man on a Lower Manhattan train was released back on the street without bail — despite having a record of dozens of arrests for assault throughout the years, the Post has learned.
Johnson Earl, 44 – who sources say has been busted 14 times – was most recently nabbed on New Year’s Day and charged with second-degree assault for viciously beating his 83-year-old victim for bumping into his foot on Dec. 20, cops said Friday.
But he was granted supervised release the next day on the felony by Judge Beverly Tatham, over prosecutors’ request for $75,000 cash bail or $100,000 bond – which they argued would help ensure his return to court, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said.
The Bronx man allegedly flew into a rage on a southbound No. 5 train approaching the Fulton Street station around 6:10 a.m. when the elderly victim stumbled over his foot, according to cops and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
Earl then punched the senior in the face, sparking a brawl that ended with the aggressor putting the victim in a chokehold and pummeling him even more, an assistant district attorney charged during the suspect’s Jan. 2 arraignment.
The attack left the victim with cuts on his face and head, and he went on his own to the Kings County Hospital Center for treatment.
Most recently, Earl was arrested in the Bronx in July for repeatedly punching a security guard at a 99-cent store, according to that complaint.
“Why are you not attending to me?” he allegedly seethed at his victim in that incident.
In that case, Earl’s case was adjourned in contemplation of dismissal – though it’s unclear why – and he was ordered to stay away from the victim, Bronx prosecutors said.
Earl has been arrested at least four other times for assault dating back to 1999, according to law enforcement sources.
He has also been arrested in the past for criminal possession of a weapon and marijuana possession, the sources said.
When contacted by The Post Friday, Earl’s Legal Aid Attorney Lizzie-anne Beal would only comment, “I will just say that he was rightfully released.”
Earl is next scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 27, records show.
The attack came during a violent stretch for the city’s transit system that also saw a woman burned to death, a man shoved in front of a train and multiple stabbings or slashings.
There were 579 felony assaults recorded by the NYPD’s transit bureau in 2024 – slightly higher than 2023’s numbers, preliminary data shows.
Ten murders were reported on the rails last year — matching a 25-year high set in 2022, authorities said.
Major crime in the transit system did, however, drop 5.4% overall compared to 2023.
