The transit workers union is demanding judges be removed from the bench after accused assailants walked free without bail.
John Chiarello, president of TWU Local 100, is “mad as hell” over two cases where men who attacked on-duty employees were released without bail, he said. Eighty-seven New York City Transit and MTA bus workers have been assaulted on duty so far this year, a 13% jump from the 77 attacked during the same period in 2025 and 36% above the 64 attacked in that span in 2024, according to union data.
The first case involves Thywill Anasu, 29, who allegedly knocked out BxM1 bus operator Johnny Rodriguez, 59, on April 4 near Yonkers. Rodriguez was making a U-turn that is part of his regular route when Anasu’s vehicle sped past and made contact, video shows. Both men exited their vehicles, and Anasu “placed the victim in a chokehold, applied pressure… And threw the victim to the ground, causing the victim to hit his head on the pavement,” according to a Westchester County indictment.
At his April 30 arraignment in Westchester County Court, Anasu delivered a rambling speech to Judge George Fufidio as assault video played.
“I’m a gentle guy, I’m not a fighter,” Anasu said in court. “He was spazzing on me. That is probably the chokehold. My defense mechanism.”
The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office requested $50,000 cash bail and $150,000 bond. Fufidio set bail at $5,000 cash or $50,000 bond instead, and Anasu posted bail. The defendant told the judge he runs a pressure-cleaning business and was driving a new truck.
Four months later, Anasu allegedly assaulted an FDNY fire marshal in uniform in the Bronx, according to a criminal complaint. He was arrested two days later and charged with assault, burglary, illegal entry and other counts. The Bronx District Attorney’s Office asked for $50,000 cash bail or $150,000 bond, but Bronx Judge Michele Davila freed him on supervised release.
“Does this man have to kill somebody before he’s remanded to jail?” Chiarello asked.
Rodriguez told The Post he left his bus to check on the other driver after the fender bender and the man initially seemed fine.
“At the moment that I’m walking away, he just attacked,” Rodriguez said. “He grabbed me, and I tried to get him off of me. He flipped me onto the ground and he banged my head into the ground.”
Rodriguez suffered two brain bleeds, a concussion, a torn shoulder ligament, and has experienced vertigo and brain fog since. “The judge made a mistake when he let him out,” he said. “He could have hurt or killed someone else. They need to look at what’s going on here.”
The second case involves Jhon Hurtado Olmos, a homeless drifter who allegedly slashed a Times Square subway station cleaner around 10:30 p.m. On Aug. 24. The city employee had asked Olmos to step away so he could clean. Union-provided photos show the worker was left with a gaping slash wound on his arm. Olmos fled and was arrested nine days later on Sept. 2. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg requested $30,000 bail, but Judge Shirin Zarabi freed him on supervised release.
The union is “discussing actions they may take,” including a possible demonstration to call for the judges’ removal, a spokeswoman said. There is some precedent for removing judges from criminal cases — Supreme Court Judge Naita Semaj was expected to move from criminal to civil court in 2023 as she faced a judicial probe into claims of abusive and unprofessional behavior, plus controversy over freeing alleged killer stepdad Tyresse Minter without bail.
Office of Court Administration spokesman Al Baker declined to comment on individual bail decisions and did not respond when asked if Semaj still hears criminal cases.
“It is important to note, however, that the vast majority of bail decisions turn on the court’s discretionary weighing of a broad range of factors in order to make an individualized assessment of the defendant’s risk of flight to avoid prosecution,” he said, explaining that the assessment involves “consideration of information and arguments presented by the prosecutor and defense counsel.”
The April 4 incident began when Rodriguez, driving his BxM1 route, made contact with Anasu’s vehicle during a routine U-turn. What appeared to be a minor collision escalated into a violent assault that left the veteran bus operator with lasting injuries and sparked the union’s campaign against judicial leniency.
The TWU Local 100 spokeswoman said the union continues weighing further steps beyond the proposed demonstration.