Video captures the moment a brave bystander wrestled a man who randomly stabbed a woman at a New York subway station

• A CBC cameraman jumped to the rescue of a woman who was being stabbed by a knife-wielding assailant at a subway station.
• Video shows the moment Sean Conaboy tackled the assailant to the ground.
• "Time slowed down and I thought why am I not getting stabbed? I was completely vulnerable," Conaboy said.

A CBC cameraman jumped to the rescue of a woman who was being stabbed by a knife-wielding assailant in a New York City subway station.

Sean Conaboy, who is a freelance camera operator, was waiting for a train on a platform at Manhattan's 14th Street-Union Square station on Wednesday when he saw a man with a knife attack a 54-year-old woman.

The assailant stabbed the woman in the collar bone and back of the shoulder multiple times, according to NBC, before Conaboy tackled him to the ground.

"I noticed an individual who was acting a little bit suspiciously," Conaboy told NBC New York. "[The victim] was pulled backward, she screamed. And then an arm and a hand came out with a fairly long blade, five inches maybe, dagger and made arching sweeping motion."

Conaboy says natural instinct caused him to run towards the attacker and tackle him. Others also helped, holding the assailant's ankles and legs down until police arrived.

"Time slowed down and I thought why am I not getting stabbed? I was completely vulnerable," Conaboy added. "I was able to work my forearm under his throat and I pulled his hair back to prevent him from biting me because he was attempting to bite my arm."

Police arrested Joshua Nazario, 22 over the attack, and charged him with four counts of assault and criminal possession of a weapon. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Sarah Feinberg, New York city's interim head of transit, said: "This unprovoked attack is both senseless and deeply disturbing - and another reminder of why additional uniformed police officers and mental health services are needed in the transit system to both increase security and to ensure the safety of riders and transit workers."

"We are deeply grateful for the generous acts of each of the Good Samaritans who jumped to this victim's aid last night, at significant risk to themselves."

The incident on Wednesday is the latest in a spate of similar attacks at the Union Square subway station.

According to NBC, the attack was at least the fourth at the station in just a week's time

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has pledged to take action to deal with the spike in subway attacks. He said that "recovery equals public safety" and "public safety equals recovery".