An argument over a skateboard on a Pierce Transit bus at Puyallup's South Hill Mall spiraled into a brawl involving seven teenagers, ending with a bus driver and several bystanders hit by pepper spray. Pierce County prosecutors have now charged an 18-year-old man in connection with the chaos, which police say began when three males tried to take a juvenile's skateboard outside the bus.
Prosecutors charged 18-year-old Xzayviar James Hughes on Wednesday with three counts of second-degree assault, one count of fourth-degree assault, and unlawful transit conduct, according to KING 5. Court records reviewed by the station show the fight involved seven individuals ranging in age from 12 to 18, and that the confrontation started when three males attempted to grab a juvenile's skateboard just outside the bus at the South Hill Mall Transit Center, located at 503 39th Ave. SW in Puyallup, on Tuesday.
According to MyNorthwest.com, the teenagers involved were split into two separate groups that argued after boarding the bus, and the dispute quickly escalated into punching and kicking, with some participants using skateboards as weapons. An 18-year-old from Tacoma deployed pepper spray during the fight, striking the bus driver along with multiple other people, MyNorthwest reports. A transit worker was also spit on during the incident, and the fight continued outside the bus once it reached the transit center.
Two Arrests, Quick Police Response
Puyallup police officers responded quickly to the transit center, per the same MyNorthwest account, and arrested two 18-year-olds. The Tacoma teen who used the pepper spray was arrested on assault charges, while a second 18-year-old was arrested for interfering with the investigation. Police said the brawl resulted in no serious injuries beyond the pepper-spray strikes.
Officers used an aerial drone during the response to locate two suspects who had fled the transit center and hidden in a nearby wooded area, KING 5 reported. Puyallup Police Department spokesperson Jeremy Hedrick said the two groups had no known prior conflict, and he told KIRO 7 that the incident was not a regular occurrence at the transit center. Hedrick also warned that skateboards used as weapons can be very dangerous.
Juveniles Sent Home, Banned From Transit Property
The underage juveniles caught up in the fight were turned over to their parents and issued administrative exclusion orders banning them from Pierce Transit property for one year, according to KING 5. Those bans stem from Pierce Transit security policies that allow agency personnel and law enforcement officers to issue exclusion notices against anyone who violates safety rules or commits crimes on agency property, separate from any criminal charges that may follow.
Pierce Transit maintains interlocal law enforcement agreements with regional agencies, including the Puyallup Police Department and the Pierce County Sheriff's Office, to provide dedicated uniformed patrols at transit stations such as South Hill Mall. The transit center connects local routes like Route 4 with regional Sound Transit service, and handles heavy daily passenger traffic tied to the adjacent mall.
Why Felony Charges Apply
Washington law treats assaults against transit workers with particular severity. Under RCW 9A.36.031, assaulting a public transit driver or supervisor performing official duties is classified as third-degree assault, a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Separately, RCW 9.91.025 designates unlawful transit conduct as a misdemeanor covering disruptive, unsafe, or interfering behavior on transit vehicles and property, which accounts for the additional charge Hughes faces alongside the assault counts.
The brawl also unfolded against a backdrop of rising youth ridership across the region. Under Washington's Move Ahead Washington initiative, launched in 2022, all riders 18 and younger travel free on Pierce Transit, and the agency logged more than 1 million free youth rides in 2024. That free-fare policy has turned hubs like the South Hill Mall Transit Center into major gathering points for teenagers, even as Hedrick maintains that violent incidents like this one remain unusual there.
