Metro bus assault victim: 'It was like getting hit by a baseball'
SEATTLE -- What began as an ordinary ride home on the bus led to a major blow for one passenger.
James Jun was riding home on the Route 71 bus on Monday afternoon, minding his own business.
As the bus motored across the Ship Canal Bridge on Interstate 5, one man started threatening other passengers. That man eventually settled on Jun, police said, and punched him in the face.
"Oh, yeah it hurt," he said. "It was like getting hit by a baseball. I thought it was broken at first."
Jun didn't know it at the time, but an off-duty seattle police officer was on the bus, and saw the whole thing.
"When the suspect got on the bus, he appeared to be pretty agitated," said police spokesperson Renee Witt. "So once the bus gets moving, he just starts pacing up and down the aisle."
"I was sitting down and he just bumps me," Jun said. "He dropped all his bags and he must have punched me right square in the nose."
An off-duty sergeant happened to be on that bus and saw Jun getting punched. The sergeant grabbed his radio and called for backup while the bus driver headed for the nearest exit.
When the bus finally came to a stop on at NE 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue NE in the U-District, the suspected attacker got off. The sergeant also got off and followed the man.
"Police caught-up with him here several blocks away and arrested him," Witt said.
Jun is thankful there was a sergeant who witnessed the attack.
"I just want to thank him for bringing justice for this stuff, because a lot of times people get away with this stuff," Jun said. "And I think I was lucky the sergeant was on the back of the bus."
Just last month, a developmentally-disabled man was punched as he was getting off the Route 7 bus at a stop in South Seattle.
To enhance security, Metro bus has installed cameras on hundreds of its buses. The camera aboard Jun's bus captured his attack, but the footage has not yet been released.
The suspect in this case is being held on suspicion of assault.
James Jun was riding home on the Route 71 bus on Monday afternoon, minding his own business.
As the bus motored across the Ship Canal Bridge on Interstate 5, one man started threatening other passengers. That man eventually settled on Jun, police said, and punched him in the face.
"Oh, yeah it hurt," he said. "It was like getting hit by a baseball. I thought it was broken at first."
Jun didn't know it at the time, but an off-duty seattle police officer was on the bus, and saw the whole thing.
"When the suspect got on the bus, he appeared to be pretty agitated," said police spokesperson Renee Witt. "So once the bus gets moving, he just starts pacing up and down the aisle."
"I was sitting down and he just bumps me," Jun said. "He dropped all his bags and he must have punched me right square in the nose."
An off-duty sergeant happened to be on that bus and saw Jun getting punched. The sergeant grabbed his radio and called for backup while the bus driver headed for the nearest exit.
When the bus finally came to a stop on at NE 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue NE in the U-District, the suspected attacker got off. The sergeant also got off and followed the man.
"Police caught-up with him here several blocks away and arrested him," Witt said.
Jun is thankful there was a sergeant who witnessed the attack.
"I just want to thank him for bringing justice for this stuff, because a lot of times people get away with this stuff," Jun said. "And I think I was lucky the sergeant was on the back of the bus."
Just last month, a developmentally-disabled man was punched as he was getting off the Route 7 bus at a stop in South Seattle.
To enhance security, Metro bus has installed cameras on hundreds of its buses. The camera aboard Jun's bus captured his attack, but the footage has not yet been released.
The suspect in this case is being held on suspicion of assault.
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