Portland Man, 23, Accused of Serial TriMet Bear Mace Attacks, Now Banned From Buses

A 23-year-old Portland man accused of pepper-spraying strangers on TriMet buses over the summer has been arraigned on multiple charges and barred from all TriMet property, after investigators say the most recent attack was caught on surveillance video and left a victim sprayed in the face after simply tapping the suspect on the knee.

Jovahn Mehki Cargill was arraigned on charges of second-degree unlawful use of tear gas or mace, fourth-degree assault, and three counts of interfering with public transportation, according to KATU. The charges stem from a July 12 incident near North Vancouver Avenue and North Ivy Street, though prosecutors say Cargill was connected to a series of similar pepper spray incidents on TriMet buses over the summer. It remains unclear from court documents exactly how many incidents involved him.

According to court documents cited by the station, surveillance footage showed the July 12 attack was unprovoked. When asked why he sprayed the victim, Cargill reportedly said it was because “he stinks.” He was found in possession of a black can of SABRE bear mace at the time. That detail matters: EPA-registered bear sprays carry a 2.0% major capsaicinoid concentration, the maximum allowed under federal regulation, making them roughly 50% stronger than the standard personal defense pepper sprays most civilians carry, according to manufacturer SABRE.

How Investigators Tracked Him Down

The suspect left the bus before police arrived at the scene of the July 12 incident, the station reported. A Beaverton crime analyst later identified him as 23-year-old Cargill, and stills of his image were distributed to local law enforcement agencies in the region. Lake Oswego police detained Cargill on August 24, according to the same account.

Under Oregon Revised Statutes § 163.212, recklessly discharging tear gas, pepper mace, or a similar agent against another person is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $6,250 fine, according to OregonLaws. Separately, Oregon Revised Statutes § 166.116 defines interfering with public transportation as a misdemeanor that applies when someone intentionally obstructs transit operations, engages in disorderly conduct, or subjects a passenger or transit worker to offensive physical contact, per the Oregon Legislative Information System.

No Local Record, but Out-of-State History

According to court records, Cargill has no prior criminal history in Oregon, and he was released on his own recognizance following his arraignment. He was ordered to appear at his next hearing on September 11, 2026. Public arrest records in Minnesota, however, show Cargill was booked in Hennepin and Dakota counties in 2024 on allegations including second-degree assault, theft, and first-degree aggravated robbery, according to Arrests.org records, though that history did not surface in his Oregon proceedings.

TriMet has since barred Cargill from its property entirely. TriMet administrative rules allow the agency to issue formal exclusion notices barring riders who commit physical offenses or violate safety rules from all buses, trains, and transit centers, with bans ranging from 30 days to lifetime exclusions for severe violence, as detailed by The Portland Tribune. Entering TriMet property while under an active exclusion can trigger additional charges of criminal trespass or transit interference.

Part of a Wider Pattern on Portland Transit

Cargill's case echoes another chemical-irritant incident on the TriMet system: in January, Multnomah County prosecutors issued an arrest warrant for a former TriMet road supervisor accused of pepper-spraying a vehicle full of teenagers during an August 2025 dispute at the Gresham Central Transit Center, a case Hoodline covered in its report on the Gresham pepper-spray manhunt. That case similarly involved multiple counts of unlawful use of tear gas under Oregon law.

The incidents arrive as TriMet works to rebuild rider confidence even as crime statistics have generally improved. The agency reported a 38% decline in overall police service calls between 2021 and 2023, yet its own 2024 surveys found nearly half of area residents still voiced lingering safety concerns about riding public transit, according to data from TriMet. A separate tri-county voter survey found overall concern about crime across Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties dropped from 50% in 2023 to 36% in 2025, per Northwest Enforcement, though public safety on transit infrastructure remains a persistent focus for riders.

In response, the Portland Police Bureau rejoined TriMet's Transit Police Division in August 2025 after withdrawing in 2020, assigning five officers and a sergeant to partner with Multnomah County Sheriff's deputies on regional transit patrols, according to KGW. TriMet has also expanded its non-police safety personnel to nearly 500 staff, including Customer Safety Supervisors, Transit Security Officers, and unarmed Safety Response Team members, according to reporting from OPB.