MTA Suspends Eagle Team Fare Enforcement After Excessive-Force Videos Surface

New York City's MTA suspended its Eagle Team fare-enforcement unit following public outcry over two incidents captured on video. In August 2026 in the Bronx, footage showed a man being body-slammed by inspectors. On October 6 in Brooklyn, Kyle Taylor says he had paid his fare but was confronted by four MTA inspectors who allegedly punched him and slammed him against a bus shelter, leaving him unconscious. Taylor filed a $25 million lawsuit against the MTA and New York City Transit Authority. At a community meeting in East New York on Thursday evening, civil rights activist Rev. Kevin McCall led calls for accountability, demanding body cameras and independent oversight before any reinstatement. MTA Chair Janno Lieber announced the stand-down, saying he was unwilling to keep teams in the field until he could confirm all protocols were being followed and a full operational review was complete. The Eagle Teams were created to tackle roughly $1 billion per year in fare-evasion losses.