NYPD officer tases Black man on the subway; department under scrutiny David Crowell, 29, was tased by police after allegedly helping a passenger board without paying fare Loading the player... After video of a Black man being tased by a New York police officer in a subway train car went viral on the internet, local politicians and community leaders have scrutinized the NYPD and its ability to enforce subway laws without disproportionately targeting Black and brown passengers. 29-year-old David Crowell has been identified as the man tased by the NYPD after officers claim he helped another passenger pass through the gates without paying fare.