Photographer who took controversial New York subway death snap speaks out

Freelancer Umar Abbasi, speaks out against “armchair critics” in interview, regarding his photo of passenger Ki Suk Han taken a moment before he was killed.

Father of one, Han, was pushed in front of a train at 49th Street, Manhattan, New York.

Ki Suk Han tried to pull himself up from the tracks, but didn’t manage to. Umar Abbasi captured the whole thing on camera, and has since come under fire for taking pictures, rather than helping the man.

"It all went so quickly," explained Abbasi to the New York Post. He went on to explain that the whole thing happened in 22 seconds and Han was “too far away to reach”.

Abbasi also claims that the man who pushed Han onto the tracks was coming towards him, and he was scared for his life. He explained he was "afraid he might push me onto the tracks."

Abbasi explained to presenters on Today News:  "Selling a photograph of this nature sounds morbid. I licensed these photographs. (How the image was used) is not my decision. I was on assignment. I don't control what image is used and how it used and how it is presented."

Picture: YouTube