NY Post Bashed for Photo of Man's Final Moments

Some wondering why photographer didn't help Ki Suk Han
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 4, 2012 11:46 AM CST

The New York Post's front page today features a picture of the last moments of the man who was pushed in front of the subway and killed yesterday, above the blaring headline, "DOOMED." It's obviously sparked outrage on various levels, with many questioning whether the cover, a picture of Ki Suk Han trying desperately to climb back up on the platform, is appropriate, while others wonder why the photog was snapping the picture instead of trying to help. In the Post, the photographer explains his actions thusly: "I just started running, running, hoping that the driver could see my flash. ... In that moment, I just wanted to warn the train—to try and save a life." The Post notes that the photographer fired off his flash "repeatedly" while running toward the train, and adds that he wasn't strong enough to actually lift the man to safety.

But, as bloggers and Internet commenters alike point out, it seems more likely the camera flash would have blinded the train operator than alerted him to the person on the tracks. The Atlantic Wire's headline sums up the reaction to the photo: "Who Let This Man Die on the Subway?" Adding to the controversy is the Post's sensational headline: "Pushed on the subway track, this man is about to die," it reads, adding, "DOOMED." Police have released a video of Han and the suspect, who is still at large, arguing before Han's death, the Wall Street Journal reports. Witnesses say the suspect had been harassing people on the platform, and Han was trying to calm him down when the suspect started screaming at him. Han's wife says she and her husband had fought just before he left home around 11am, and that he had been drinking. Police did find a bottle of vodka on him, and one witness claims Han was the one who started the argument. (More New York Post stories.)

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