Unhappy with WTA destination, this bus rider accused of stabbing another in Bellingham
.jpg "Bellingham Police established a safety perimeter around a Whatcom Transit Authority bus Tuesday, May 18, on Old Fairhaven Parkway in Bellingham and negotiated the surrender of a rider who allegedly stabbed another.")
A 44-year-old woman was arrested after she allegedly stabbed another passenger four times on a Whatcom Transportation Authority bus on Tuesday, May 18, the Bellingham Police Department said.
LaKisha Annette Bolden was booked into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of first-degree assault in connection with the incident on the 2700 block of Old Fairhaven Parkway that included a standoff with police who were called about 1:48 p.m. on Tuesday, according to Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy and the department’s call log.
Bolden was angry the bus on which she was riding wasn’t going downtown, Murphy said in a news release on Wednesday evening, May 19.
The driver stopped the bus, and Bolden looked like she was leaving but instead pulled out a 4-inch knife and allegedly stabbed another rider in what Murphy said was an unprovoked attack.
“Ms. Bolden was under the influence of alcohol and it appeared there may be behavioral health issues present, the extent of which are not known to us,” Murphy said to The Bellingham Herald.
The passenger who was stabbed fought back and was able to get off the bus, as were the several other riders and the driver, according to Murphy.
That left Bolden alone on the bus and holding the knife, Murphy said.
When Bellingham Police arrived, they shut down traffic on Old Fairhaven Parkway and created a perimeter around the bus, which had been disabled to prevent Bolden from driving away.
The police Crisis Negotiator Team contacted Bolden and soon after convinced her to step off the bus and surrender peacefully, Murphy said.
The injured passenger was treated for stab wounds to her hand and leg at St. Joseph hospital. The injuries weren’t life-threatening.
This story was originally published May 19, 2021 at 5:18 PM.
