News

Man arrested in Auburn bus driver attack

King County deputies had their guns drawn when they arrested a man who was armed with a knife after attacking a Metro bus driver in Auburn Wednesday morning.

Officers say the man was on a Metro bus when he punched the driver in the face. She pushed an alert button to summon help, and when he got off the bus near South 302nd Street and 32nd Avenue South, he was followed by a Metro supervisor.

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Police arrived and a deputy caught up with the fleeing man.  She said he was armed with a knife and asked her to shoot him. She told KIRO 7 that for a time, she thought she may have to shoot the man, but he then retreated toward a wooded area.

Video from Chopper 7 showed the man climbing through and then hiding in some brush with a sheriff's office helicopter overhead and police on the ground in the surrounding area.

After thrashing through the woods for about a half-hour, the man came to the road and surrendered to police, who had guns drawn until he was taken into custody.

The bus driver who was punched had to put ice pack on her face but will be OK.  No passengers were hurt.