South Los Angeles became the scene of a violent altercation this past Saturday when a man was reportedly stabbed during a confrontation on a Metro bus, causing the Los Angeles Police Department to spring into action in a search for the assailant, who remains at large, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. The incident occurred just before 4 p.m. near Vermont Avenue and 29th Street, where, according to police, a 50-year-old victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
The bus, running on the Line 204 route, was the site of some sort of confrontation between two passengers which led to the assault, the perpetrator, a man described to be in his 30s and last seen wearing blue clothing, had already fled on foot before authorities arrived officers discovered the injured man, and took him to the hospital, the details of the confrontation and what exactly provoked the attack have yet to be disclosed; but the Metro has expressed their concern for the victim's wellbeing offering support and commending the quick response of the LAPD and LAFD in a statement shared with CBS News Los Angeles.
While the chase is on for the suspect, the incident marks a continuation of violence that has plagued Metro buses, following another stabbing that occurred earlier this month, yet The Los Angeles Times notes that Metro's statistics indicate a downward trend in aggravated assaults, as well as other violent acts against passengers and operators, this decrease being observed since the implementation of Metro's new in-house police department, headed by newly hired chief Bill Scott, who comes with experience from the LAPD and San Francisco police departments.
