West Hempstead man charged in fatal Brooklyn stabbing, NYPD says

A West Hempstead man has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of a man on a Brooklyn street Saturday, the NYPD said.

Merciful Johnson, 31, also was charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the death of Ean Bethea-Windsor, 26, on the grounds of the Breukelen Houses shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday, police said.

Johnson “just walked up to the victim, stabbed him in the neck. We don’t know the motive,” an NYPD spokesman said Monday.

Police said Johnson was arrested at 3:30 p.m. Sunday after another person on the street was able to identify him as the attacker.

Johnson was expected to appear in Kings Criminal Court on Monday and was assigned legal counsel, according to court records, but no additional information was immediately available Monday night.

With Deon J. Hampton