Chaos disrupted the usual hum of city transit when a stabbing unfolded on a Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) bus in Uptown Charlotte. WBTV reports that the event occurred yesterday near the intersection of North Tryon Street and Ashby Street. First responders rushed to the scene after a call came in at around 5 p.m., transporting one person to the hospital with injuries that were initially deemed life-threatening.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department later clarified that the injuries sustained were non-life-threatening. In the matter's aftermath, court records uncovered by WCNC Charlotte show that 57-year-old James Calvin Bennett was apprehended and charged with attempted first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. This incident adds to an unnerving trend of violence on public transportation.
At the scene, witnesses experienced an unsettling sight as children were shepherded off the bus amidst the crime scene investigation. A large police presence answered to the call, focusing on areas within the bus, notably near the driver's seat, as captured in a video clip mentioned by WSOCTV. Details around the circumstances of the stabbing remain sparse, but the lack of homicide detectives at the scene suggests the victim's survival.
Local riders expressed their concerns and adjustments in light of recent events. “I thought about it after the stabbing on the train, I was little skeptical about riding the bus, but I carry pepper spray with me so that’s my security when I’m out in public,” Tori Govan told WSOCTV. Fellow passenger Tadford Davis echoed the sentiment of precaution, “I stay to myself, get on, get off where I’m going, and that’s it. Mind my business” he reported during an interview with the same station.
