CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department is still searching for a suspect accused of stabbing someone else on a CATS bus earlier this week. The stabbing is also the second violent incident to happen onboard a bus this week.
During a news briefing on Friday, CMPD said an argument between a CATS driver and a passenger around 9 p.m. on Tuesday escalated and turned physical. The department said the passenger was upset for almost missing the bus because it supposedly left early from a stop. CATS said the passenger threatened the driver.
Sgt. Kevin Pietrus said the department is working to boost public safety efforts so passengers can feel comfortable and safe onboard.
"We do encourage our residents and folks who visit Charlotte to continue to use CATS transportation," he said. "We know many people rely on that, and we don't want people to be afraid to go and use a CATS bus."
Such violent incidents are continuing to raise safety concerns. The day after the fight, CMPD says a fight between two passengers ended with one stabbing the other.
"There were life-threatening injuries in that case," Pietrus said. "A witness stated that the suspect ran from the bus, and the department and Crime Stoppers pushed out an image of that suspect."
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles said these kinds of incidents are happening too often, but similarly assured citizens the city was working on boosting safety improvements.
"Somehow, we have gotten to this place where there are more disruptions than ordinarily around," she said. "We have increased our security staff. We now have people trained in mediation in terms of being able to de-escalate a situation."
Pietrus asked riders to be extra vigilant and pay attention to what's happening around them.
"That includes being aware of the people on the bus too, what activities people are engaging in, are they encroaching in what would be your personal space," he said. "If that is the case, let's try to disengage and de-escalate as much as possible."
In short, CMPD says the best thing to do is to distance yourself and call 9-1-1.
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.