GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Police have a suspect in custody after they say he stabbed another person in the head on a Rapid bus this afternoon.
The Grand Rapids Police Department said it happened around noon on a bus near Kalamazoo and Elliott SE. The male suspect was apparently seated on the bus before standing up to walk over to where the male victim was seated. The suspect stabbed the other man once in the head before fleeing the scene, according to police.
Grand Rapids Police said the incident occurred on a bus near a Rapid stop near Kalamazoo and Elliot SE.
The victim was taken to St. Mary's Hospital for treatment with non-life threatening injuries, according to police.
Ian McNee was walking along Kalamazoo on Monday afternoon with a friend and saw the bus stopped. Had he been scheduled to work, he said he likely would've been on the bus when the incident happened.
“We noticed that the bus was not moving, and a lady came off and you could hear kind of a blood-curdling scream," he told FOX 17. "Then within seconds you see the ambulance pull up."
McNee said he relies on the bus daily to get to and from work, but said following this latest incident he's rethinking his mode of transportation.
“You’re paying to safely get from 'Destination A' to 'Destination B,' you shouldn’t have to worry about someone getting stabbed," he said. “Makes me want to walk, or get my bike, or get my license back."
Sgt. Terry Dixon, spokesperson for GRPD, tells FOX 17 it doesn't appear the suspect and victim knew each other. The motive for the attack remains unclear and could've been random, but should be considered an isolated incident, according to Dixon.
Dixon would not comment specifically on where in the head area the victim was stabbed, adding that police are still questioning the suspect about the incident. Any possible charges have yet to be determined.
“An incident like this affects us all, particularly those who ride the bus," Dixon said.
"When you have a situation like this, you can’t really understand or make sense of it, but the good news is that we have the suspect in custody and the bus is safe to ride.”
This incident is the latest in a handful of assaults involving a Rapid bus since the beginning of the year. In January, a man was arrested after threatening a Rapid driver with a hatchet. In March, two teens fired of BB guns at a Rapid bus driving through Kentwood causing damage. Meanwhile, just last month a Grand Rapids Public Schools student and Rapid driver were involved in an assault that began on the bus. Both the student and driver were charged.
Police arrested the suspect a short time after the incident. The GRPD Major Case Team is investigating. Anyone with further information is asked to call the department 616-456-3604 or Silent Observer 616-774-2345.
