Attacker Who Shoved Man Onto Loop CTA Tracks Arrested, Charged With Attempted Murder: Police

By Stephen Gossett in News on Oct 10, 2017 3:39PM

Chad Estep / Chicago Police Department

Chad Estep, 34, of Wicker Park, is charged with first-degree attempted murder and a felony count of aggravated battery in a public place in the incident, according to police.

Estep was positively ID'ed as the man who pushed a 47-year-old commuter onto the tracks, sometime between 11:30 a.m. and noon, in the 100 block of North Dearborn, police said. Estep was arrested at his home on Monday, Oct. 9 at his home.

Estep received his Ph.D. in neuroscience from Northwestern University in 2017, according to the Tribune.

As reported by the Tribune in September, transit user Ben Benedict was waiting for a train at the Washington Blue Line station when someone came up from behind and shoved him onto the tracks with "a full-on running push." Benedict landed just a foot from the third rail; and the attacker blocked Benedict's attempts to climb back up from the tracks. He was finally able to climb to safety after other commuters circled the pusher, according to the Tribune.

The Chicago Police Department initially declined to publicly release photos of the attacker, which it had culled from CTA surveillance video, but ultimately released photos in the wake of the Tribune's report. It's not uncommon for CPD to release photos of suspects believed to be involved in violent incidents on the CTA.

Estep is scheduled to appear in bond court today.

This post has been updated.