Special prosecutor to prosecute July 4 SEPTA stabbing incident

(WPHL) — A special prosecutor for the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office will prosecute the stabbing incident that occurred on July 4 at a SEPTA subway station in Kensington, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced.

The Special Prosecutor for Mass Transit will prosecute the case against 35-year-old Daniel Williams, from Brookhaven, who is being charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and possessing an instrument of crime.

Williams allegedly stabbed a 66-year-old man from behind while he was standing on the Berks SEPTA subway platform. The victim still remains in critical condition.

Investigators were able to find surveillance video that showed Williams with a knife in his hand approach the victim from behind and stab him. Williams then fled, throwing the knife. Bystanders pointed responding officers to Williams’ location, and he was taken into custody.

Williams is being held on $800,000 bail and awaiting a preliminary hearing on August 6.  

”My office is committed to keeping every community of the Commonwealth safe, and that includes on mass transit vehicles and at stations that have far too often been the scenes of violent crimes like this one,” Attorney General Sunday said. “The state legislature passed and the Governor signed Act 40 into law as a means to provide further protections for commuters who use mass transit in Philadelphia and SEPTA employees. I fully intend to use this tool to work towards a safer Pennsylvania.”

Since 2023, the Special Prosecutor for Mass Transit staff has taken on 40 cases, and a dozen of those are filed and pending court proceedings, said the Attorney General’s Office.

“The Special Prosecutor has focused on cases involving victimization of SEPTA riders and personnel. This focus is in an effort to increase the level of safety on the system and to restore confidence in the ability of the system to provide safe transportation to the community.”, the Attorney General’s Office continued.

The appointment of a special prosecutor comes from Act 40, which was passed by the legislature and signed into law by the governor in December 2023, requiring the Office of Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor to “investigate and institute criminal proceedings” for violations of law occurring within SEPTA.