Just Another Day In Portland: Bus Driver Held Hostage And Stabbed

According to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, officers responded to the scene at approximately 11 p.m. on March 13, near NE 27th Avenue and NE Saratoga Street. The bus driver, Emily Paul, reported that Anna Karen Perez-Velador, 28, had pulled out a knife and stabbed her in the leg after Paul asked Perez-Velador and Cody Christopher Richardson, 26, to exit the bus due to it having reached the end of its route. Paul stated that the two suspects were the only individuals present on the bus at the time of the altercation.

Court documents revealed that Paul suspected Perez-Velador and Richardson were intoxicated and that the two eventually walked toward the front of the bus where she was seated. Perez-Velador then accused Paul of sleeping with Richardson before she began hitting the plastic partition surrounding the driver’s seat with what appeared to be a pocket knife. It is noteworthy that TriMet began installing plastic barriers on buses in 2019 to safeguard drivers from assaults.

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After Perez-Velador exited the bus, she returned and resumed stabbing at the partition until Paul felt a sharp pain in her leg. Despite her injury, Paul managed to escape through the driver's side window, while Perez-Velador allegedly blocked the bus door while still holding the knife. Following the incident, responding officers found Paul at the scene, where she provided them with a description of the suspects. The suspects were later located by police in the vicinity and taken into custody before being booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center.

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As per court records, Perez-Velador faces charges of assault, menacing, unlawful use of a weapon, coercion, and criminal mischief, while Richardson has been booked for interfering with public transportation and outstanding arrest warrants from 2020 for charges of unauthorized use of a vehicle.

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Following the incident, TriMet released a statement expressing support for the operator and emphasizing the severity of assaulting a bus operator. The company also indicated that it would be working closely with Transit Police and the district attorney’s office to ensure that justice is served. Paul has been released from the hospital after receiving treatment for her injury.

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It is worth noting that this incident occurred in a city that has seen a concerning uptick in homicides and 911 response times since its police department was defunded in 2020. In 2022, Portland surpassed its 2021 record of 92 homicides, which exceeded the city's previous record of 70 homicides in 1987. As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen whether additional charges will be added against the accused perpetrators.