A Brooklyn man described as a rising star in the world of public policy was stabbed to death in front of his girlfriend while sitting on a bus bench early Monday morning.
Ryan Carson, 32, was waiting for a bus in Bed-Stuy with his girlfriend after attending a wedding when a man started kicking what appeared to be trash on the street, surveillance video showed. The man could be heard cursing and threatening Carson saying, "I'm going to kill you right now."
Carson could be heard on the video trying to de-escalate the situation as the man approached him.
"Chill, chill, chill," Carson said.
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The man, appearing to hold a knife in his right hand, took a swing at Carson's face and when Carson tried to run away and tripped over the bus bench, the suspect stabbed Carson multiple times, the video appeared to show.
Carson was transported by ambulance to NYC Health and Hospitals/Kings County where he was pronounced deceased, NYPD officials said.
The surveillance video also showed the suspect attacking Carson's girlfriend. While Carson is bleeding on the pavement, the suspect spit at her, kicked Carson, and then ran away.
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His friends and colleagues gathered Monday night for a candlelight vigil to remember Carson and his work.
Carson was active in public policy advocacy on a range of issues, including climate change and harm reduction.
"He is a larger than life character," said Blair Horner, executive director of NYPIRG, who worked with Carson. "He's very, very jovial, and charismatic staff loved him. His students loved him."
"It's a terrible tragedy. The world will be somewhat less well off because of his absence."
Police said there have been no arrests in the case and the investigation is going.
