A 47-year-old Somerville man is being held without bail, after a violent incident on an MBTA bus in Roxbury where he's accused of stabbing a 74-year-old passenger. Maalik Abdur-Rasheed, currently facing charges, was deemed dangerous in a court hearing led by Judge David Breen, as reported by the Suffolk District Attorney's office. Abdur-Rasheed, who also has a pending case for a similar offense that occurred in 2023, is scheduled for a probable cause hearing on October 22.
The charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon comes after Abdur-Rasheed allegedly stabbed the elderly man in the neck during an altercation on the evening of September 11. According to the Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden, video evidence provided by witnesses aided in the swift apprehension of the suspect, "It’s terrible that the victim suffered this brutal attack and that passengers, witnessed it, but I thank those witnesses who were alert enough to capture the suspect on video, which helped police apprehend him so quickly." The DA stressed the importance of public transit's safety and labeled actions such as this assault as intolerable.
Officers were called to the scene at approximately 7:30 p.m. at 2000 Columbus Avenue, where they found an MBTA Transit police officer attending to the victim. Captured on video, Abdur-Rasheed can be seen with a knife in hand, making what appears to be multiple threatening gestures towards the senior. Post-attack footage shows him exiting the bus, with the elderly victim left bleeding on the floor, as stated by the Suffolk District Attorney's office.
The accused was arrested shortly after the attack, found three blocks from the site, his appearance matching that seen in the video. While the victim received emergency medical treatment, Hayden's words underscore a community rattled by violence yet pivoting towards commendation for civic vigilance, "Safe public transit is vitally important to our city and actions like this are intolerable."
Maalik Abdur-Rasheed's ongoing encounters with the legal system may be further complicated due to the victim's advanced age, potentially leading to additional charges. Public records underline the presumption of innocence for all accused parties until proven guilty. The Suffolk County District Attorney's office oversees a vast array of cases annually, emphasizing its role in maintaining public safety and bolstering legal education and outreach within the Boston area and its environs.
