NEW YORK – A man apparently angry at having to get out of the front of the bus, rather than the back doors, stabbed an MTA driver twice before fleeing at a Manhattan bus stop, authorities said Sunday.
Police said the violent incident occurred after the suspect and a second passenger tried to get off the back of the bus after it stopped in East Harlem between West 135th Street and Broadway at around 11:00. The couple tried to open the rear doors, but were unsuccessful.
Passengers were forced out of the front of the MTA bus, where the suspect began arguing with the driver, demanding to know why he wouldn’t open the rear doors, police said. The discussion escalated when police said the suspect spat at the driver, then pulled out a knife and wounded his arm twice.
The driver continued to try to get the man off the bus when NYPD officials said the assailant threatened to take a gun.
Police said the suspect was missing a tooth and was wearing a black leather jacket with a multicolored hoodie, black sweatshirts and black sneakers. An investigation of the area after the attack provided no clues.
Transported to a nearby hospital, the driver’s condition was not immediately known. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information on this incident can call the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or, for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their suggestions by accessing the Crime Stoppers website one or one Twitter @NYPDTips.
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