What started as a routine ride to work turned into a nightmare commute for Portlander Graham Capps on Sunday, when he says he was attacked first aboard a MAX train and then again on the platform near the Moda Center. Capps told reporters he was left with cuts and bruises, including a visible cut on his ear, while the suspect was ultimately taken away from the north Portland station in an ambulance after riders and TriMet security stepped in.
Speaking with KOIN, Capps said the confrontation started on the train and spilled onto the platform at the Moda Center stop. He told the station that two strangers jumped in to fight with the suspect and tried to restrain him, but those Good Samaritans slipped away before police showed up.
TriMet Security Stepped In
Other riders reported that TriMet security officers moved between the alleged attacker and the rest of the passengers as the train pulled in, a response that riders said looked like standard protocol for trouble on the platform. TriMet says its transit safety teams work with police to secure scenes and get medical crews on site when incidents like this erupt.
According to KOIN, the suspect was taken from the North Portland station by ambulance. Capps told the outlet he felt officers were slow to arrive and said that while he was clearly shaken by what happened, he expects to recover.
When Rare Incidents Reshape Rider Trust
The episode lands in the shadow of some of the worst violence seen on Portland’s light-rail system, including the 2017 MAX stabbings that killed two people and injured a third. Coverage of that case has helped shape how riders and officials talk about safety on trains and platforms, OPB has reported.
KOIN reported that it reached out to Portland police and TriMet for comment but had not received a response at the time of publication. Capps told reporters he was rattled by the whole ordeal yet believes he will recover from his injuries.
