Video shows man wildly swinging hammer on Pierce County bus

PARKLAND, Wash. — Dramatic video shows a man waving a hammer on a Pierce County bus before the bus driver jumped in, putting himself between passengers and danger.

The video, which was shot by a passenger on the bus, shows a man slamming a hammer into the seats and railings of a Pierce Transit bus and shouting threats early Friday morning.

“He was for the most part just speaking foul language and gibberish,” said eyewitness Allan Phillips, who shot the video.

Phillips said that when the man began acting strangely, the bus driver stepped in and put himself between the man and passengers.

Police were called by dispatchers after another bus driver saw what was happening, and everyone on board got off safely.

“They did a great job of evacuating and thinking about the customer first and their safety,” said Pierce Transit spokesman Justin Leighton.

Phillips said that he thought the bus driver was a hero.

“The bus driver, who, by the way, was amazing, was a totally brave person,” said Phillips. “I would call him in the finest tradition of any captain of a seagoing vessel or an airline.”

A Washington State Patrol spokesman said that the man with the hammer was not arrested. He was taken to a mental health facility for treatment.

KIRO