Chaz Wearing Philadelphia career criminal and homeless man charged with Septa train death after platform fight with fellow homeless man over a lighter.
Killed over a lighter…. A homeless man with a long criminal rap sheet has been charged after a fight on a SEPTA platform in the University City section of Philadelphia caused the victim to fall onto the tracks only to be struck and killed by an oncoming train.
Chaz Wearing, 40, following his arrest on Friday was charged with involuntary manslaughter the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office stated in a release on Friday.
Charges are subject to change if new information is obtained by authorities, the district attorney’s office said.
Platform fight between two homeless men with deadly consequences
Wearing has a warrant for a strangulation case in Delaware County, and the D.A.’s office said his criminal history spans other Pennsylvania counties including Clinton County and Lycoming County.
‘Both of the individuals involved in this were not using the system for its intended purpose,’ said SEPTA’s Chief of Police Chuck Lawson according to WPVI-TV.
The deadly incident happened at the 34th Street Station around 4:30 p.m. Thursday.
Video that has surfaced on social media shows two males involved in a fight. Police confirm they are reviewing the video as part of their investigation.
At one point, one of the men involved — identified as Wearing — punches the other, forcing him to fall onto the tracks. Moments later, the train on the Market-Frankford Line hits the man, killing him.
‘We have a history with the offender in this case. We certainly know him from other contacts, a long criminal history. The victim in this case we really had no prior contacts with. However, he had also a long criminal history,’ Lawson said.
WARNING, GRAPHIC: On a SEPTA train platform in Philadelphia, 40-year-old Chaz Wearing, a homeless man who lives in the train system, punches an unidentified man causing him to fall onto the tracks as a train approaches the 34th Street Station.
The man died instantly.
Wearing is… pic.twitter.com/UuLnveiui7
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) January 5, 2024
Long criminal history
‘We had transit police at the station at the time. They had just left the platform that’s how quick this occurred,’ Lawson said.
Transit cops said both men knew of each other and the dispute leading to one of the two men being fatally struck emanated from a fight over a lighter Action News reported.
The victim’s identity has yet to be released. Transit cops said the victim like the suspect were homeless and who rode the trains during the course of the day, ‘not for their intended purposes.’
Transit police said the tragedy occurred just moments after patrolling transit cops had just left the platform.
Riders have responded to the tragedy saying that ‘safety’ is an ‘ongoing concern’ and that violence on the transit system is ongoing.
Ongoing violence and crime on SEPTA
‘It’s not too surprising,’ said Jennifer McCray, from Upper Darby. ‘It has increased a lot in the past few years, especially post-pandemic. I think there could be more police presence to contain the crowd and violence.’
SEPTA said it is working on a plan to reach out to unhoused people on its system, but legally not much more can be done on its part.
‘We’re struggling to get our hands around those folks and as it stands neither me and the transit police department, or SEPTA as a whole is going to solve those problems by ourselves. We need help,’ Lawson said.
Police are still investigating what sparked the altercation. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police.
