New York police detain man sought in subway push death of Hong Kong immigrant

Police in New York have arrested a man for murder over the death of a Hong Kong emigrant who was shoved into the path of a train at a subway station.

Kevin Darden was picked up by detectives near his mother's home in the Bronx. Police said he had a history of arrests for assault and robbery, including for pickpocketing on November 9.

Darden, 34, is also a suspect in a separate incident earlier this month in which a man was pushed to the ground at another subway station and suffered minor injuries. Charges are pending, police said.

Kwok Wai-kuen was standing with his wife on a platform at a station in the Bronx on Sunday when he was pushed from behind by a man. Kwok, 61, was struck by an approaching southbound train and died at the scene. His wife was not injured.

There was no indication that Kwok knew the man or had had any interaction with him before he was pushed, police said. His wife said she did not recognise the man.

The man fled the station and two minutes later hopped on a bus with other people who had been on the platform at the time of the push and unknowingly discussed it while he was nearby, police said.