SEATTLE — This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com
A 25-year-old man was arrested Monday night for punching a Sound Transit bus driver in downtown Seattle.
At approximately 10:50 p.m., Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers responded to reports of a transit driver being assaulted near 3rd Avenue and Stewart Street, SPD confirmed.
At the scene, officers found the 64-year-old bus driver shaking, with facial injuries.
Suspect assaults Sound Transit driver in Seattle
SPD determined that the suspect attempted to board the metro coach, and the bus driver refused him entry. The driver activated the barrier separating the bus entrance from the passenger seating area.
The driver recognized the suspect from past disturbances on another transit bus. The suspect grew angry and punched the driver in the face. The suspect then exited the bus, “posturing at the victim,” and then entered the bus again to punch the victim again.
Ultimately, the suspect exited the bus and walked away from the area on Third Avenue.
A Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) analyst reviewed cameras from the area and captured footage of the assault. The analyst then sent a picture of the suspect to officers who were searching for him.
Officers quickly located the suspect who matched the photographs near Third Avenue and Columbia Street. Several bus riders reported that they witnessed the assault.
SPD officers arrested the suspect for assault in the third degree and booked him into the King County Jail.
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