Two men stabbed on Metro bus; attacker's bail set at $250,000

SEATTLE -- Two men were stabbed on a Metro bus Sunday night in Beacon Hill, with one of the men suffering life-threatening injuries from head and neck wounds, Seattle police reported.

According to police, one of the victims had swiped his ORCA card when he boarded the bus, but it was denied. The bus driver asked the man to come back to the front of the bus to pay his fare and as he did, the suspect, who was seated near the front of the bus, suddenly attacked him with a knife, stabbing him repeatedly in the chest, head and neck.

When the victim's friend saw him being attacked, he ran to his aid. The suspect then began stabbing him numerous times, police said.

The bus driver pulled the suspect away from the victims and the two male victims exited the bus while the man who stabbed them sat down on the bus in a seat behind the driver.

An officer on patrol saw the two victims on the sidewalk and noticed they were bleeding. When police boarded the bus, they arrested the suspect without incident. Police allegedly recovered a folding knife used in the attack and said it doesn't appear the attacker knew the victims.

The man who was stabbed in the head and he was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. The other victim was stabbed in the shoulder and sustained less serious injuries and is expected to fully recover.

When police spoke with the suspect, he told them he attacked the two men because they were "harassing" him. He also threatened to rape and kill a female officer who was interviewing him. He has been booked into King County Jail for investigation of assault and felony harassment. Monday afternoon, a judge set his bail at $250,000.