Video captures fatal stabbing of man in front of his girlfriend in New York

By Mark Morales, Caroll Alvarado and Kristina Sgueglia, CNN

(CNN) — An 18-year-old man has been arrested for the fatal stabbing of a well-known community activist returning home from a wedding with his girlfriend early Monday.

Ryan Carson, 32, was at a Brooklyn bus stop just before 4 a.m. when he was confronted by a man who had been kicking scooters on the street, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny told reporters Wednesday.

“What are you looking at?” the man said to Carson, who tried to de-escalate the situation before he was stabbed three times, once through the heart, according to Kenny. The attack was captured on video.

Details of the killing were revealed during a briefing Wednesday in which the New York City Police Department announced a decline in murders, shootings and other violent crimes this year.

Police on Thursday identified the suspect as Brian Dowling, who faces charges of murder with depraved indifference, and criminal possession of a weapon, according to an NYPD spokesperson.

Carson was sitting with his girlfriend at a bus stop in Brooklyn early Monday when a man in a dark Champion hoodie walked past them, police said. When the man was about 40 feet away, Carson and the woman got up and started walking to her home.

The man kicked mopeds and scooters parked on the street and then confronted Carson, who stepped between the man and his girlfriend, according to Kenny.

“Chill. Chill,” Carson is heard telling the man, who at one point slaps Carson, according to the video.

The suspect pulled a knife and came at Carson, who backed up and tripped before he was stabbed three times, Kenny said.

“As Mr. Carson lay dying on the sidewalk, the male with the knife kicks him in the chest, threatens to stab the woman companion and spits in her face,” Kenny said.

Moments later, a woman appeared and apologized to Carson’s girlfriend for the attack and muttered the name “Brian,” according to Kenny.

“Go watch him,” Carson’s companion told the woman, referring to the attacker, according to the video.

Carson’s employer, the non-profit New York Public Interest Research Group, in a statement remembered Carson as “a beloved staffer, colleague and friend, and a creative, talented, relentless and upbeat advocate for students and the environment.”

Carson, a longtime campaign organizer who began as a student at Pratt Institute, held various positions over a decade, including community outreach and as senior solid waste campaign manager for the organization’s campaign to expand and modernize the state’s bottle deposit law.

“Ryan was a consummate team player who would happily undertake the basic ‘blocking and tackling’ tasks necessary to advance and win on an issue, but also shined in the spotlight as a leader, campaign manager and spokesperson,” the statement said.

Carson was well known in New York political circles.

“Ryan Carson turned his passion into purpose,” Mayor Eric Adams said. “He advocated tirelessly for others, and his giving spirit was a buoy to all.”

“For many of us, Ryan Carson was a friend, mentor, and ally, and we’re devastated by his murder,” NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said.

At Wednesday’s briefing, officials said murders were down almost 11% this year compared to the same time last year.

Both rape and burglary are down more than 12% this year, police said. Shootings declined 26.6% this year compared to last year. Subway crime decreased by 5% for the year, according to NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban.

The drop in violent crime is attributable to new redeployment strategies, including the flooding of high crime neighborhoods with thousands of officers during the summer months and hiring more crime analysts, police said.

Despite the reductions, overall crime is only down slightly for the year, due in part to an almost 6% spike in felony assault and a 19% increase in auto thefts, according to the NYPD.

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CNN’s Ray Sanchez contributed to this report.