Chicago police release video of man pushing rider onto Blue Line tracks on Near West Side

Chicago police have released a video showing a man pushing another man off the platform of a Blue Line station on the Near West Side last week.

The attack occurred at about 7 a.m. Friday as a rider was walking along the edge of the platform at the Medical District stop in the 400 block of South Damen Avenue, police said in an alert.

He passed a man who shoved him onto the tracks, just missing the electrified third rail, police said.

On Saturday, Chicago police and transit officials announced plans to increase security on L and subway trains and platforms after a man was fatally shot on a Red Line train near Chatham.

As of mid-July, 488 attacks had been reported on the transit system — the most since 533 during the same period in 2011, according to a new Chicago Sun-Times analysis.

Anyone with information about Friday’s attack can call Area 3 detectives at (312) 744-8261.