UPDATE: RIPTA Passenger Stabbed To Death on Bus
Police were seen boarding a RIPTA passenger bus early Wednesday morning on West Main Road near Carnegie Tower.
Photos
Updated at 1:25 p.m. Wednesday
A Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA) passenger was stabbed to death early Wednesday morning on a bus in Portsmouth, reports WPRI.com.
Several early commuters drove by the RIPTA bus, which was seen stopped at 6:15 a.m. on West Main Road near the overlook at Lehigh Terrace.
"On Feb. 27, at approximately 6:15 a.m. Portsmouth police were called to the area of West Main Road near Willow Lane in regards to a reported stabbing that occurred on a RIPTA bus," according to a release issued by Portsmouth police.
"When police arrived on scene, they learned that a 46-year-old female resident of Portsmouth had been stabbed by a male passenger shortly after she boarded the bus. Immediately after the stabbing, two other male passengers brought the suspect to the ground and detained him until police arrived."
A State Police trooper was seen running onto the passenger bus at one point. A Portsmouth fire engine and ambulance were also on scene.
"The victim was transported to the Rhode Island Hospital where she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival," according to the release. "The suspect was taken into custody and is to be arraigned on murder charges later today.
"It is important to note that this does not appear to be random act of violence, but rather a domestic related incident."
The suspect was identified as 46-year-old Christopher R. James with a last known address of 207 Rhodes St., Providence.
The identity of the victim is being withheld by investigators until family members can be notified.
James has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1985, according to court records, including a 2011 charge of assault on a person over 60 in which he was remanded to the Adult Correctional Institutions (ACI). He is expected to be arraigned at 2 p.m. today.
Governor Lincoln Chafee, RIPTA chairman and Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian and Interim Executive Director of RIPTA, State Police Lt. Col. Raymond Studley, also issued this joint statement:
We first want to express our condolences to the family of the victim and our support for the passengers and driver who witnessed this troubling incident. This was an isolated event and Rhode Islanders should continue to be confident in their safety while using RIPTA. We have full confidence that the Portsmouth Police will conduct a full and thorough investigation and we will assist that investigation in any way possible.
It is unknown how many people were on board the bus at the time of the stabbing. The incident occurred on bus #60, a route which has the third-higest daily ridership in the state, according to WPRI.
The stabbing also occurs on the same day as a community meeting on how to improve RIPTA services. The meeting is scheduled to be held tonight at the Newport Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) campus.
Check back with Portsmouth Patch later today for more details on this developing story.
Dan D
3:40 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
You can guarantee many more such incidents when the bus becoms teh preferred way of getting on and off island after the tolls are introduced.
SC
3:46 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Yeah I'm sure he stabbed her all because of the tolls. *rolling eyes* Try making sense once in a while.
Renee Cwiek
4:06 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
I guess what he was trying to say went right over your head, huh?
SC
4:30 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Um no it didn't. It was a stupid and calloused comment. Someone died a violent death and all Dan cares about is deflecting the argument back to tolls. If all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail.
Dan D
5:06 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
violence is common on the buses. This isnt the first, nor will it be the last, murder on the buses in RI in recent years, yet instead of RI trying to make our bus system safer, they do everything to make them less safe. The tolls will increase ridership, making them even more dangerous. I would rather walk than take a RIPTA bus these days. that is how bad they are.
Naome Lixes
8:10 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
When was the last violent incident in memory?
That problem with this sort of reasoning is that it relies heavily on what people fear to be true, and facts are molded to fit that expectation. Other than Tea Party members - who else does that? Schizophrenics.
This was the first murder in Portsmouth for more than ten years. That's a fact.
http://www.abc6.com/story/21413793/man-stabbed-to-death-on-ripta-bus-in-portsmouth
Dan D
9:43 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Not about Portsmouth Naome, about RIPTA - Ripta buses are prime targets for crime. Why? because the drivers do nothing but try to keep their schedule. This couple was obviously causing a scene before he stabbed her. The driver should have stopped the bus and called the police long before the stabbing happened. I betcha people had to tell him to stop the bus even after the stabbing.
Naome Lixes
11:49 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
"The driver should have stopped the bus and called the police long before the stabbing happened. I betcha people had to tell him to stop the bus even after the stabbing." Dan D - on the spot crime reporter
Betcha couldn't find your own ass with a roadmap, flashlight and both hands.
Spare us the conspiracy theories about what you did not see with your own eyes.
It's a classic leap that you Tea Party faithful are all too willing to make.
This was the first homicide in Portsmouth since before the Iraq war.
Citing this as a harbinger of doom is plainly stupid.
It was domestic violence, pure and evil.
http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime/article/Woman-fatally-stabbed-on-bus-ex-husband-charged-4313098.php
Naome Lixes
11:50 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
"violence is common on the buses. This isnt the first, nor will it be the last, murder on the buses in RI in recent years, yet instead of RI trying to make our bus system safer, they do everything to make them less safe."
Dan D
Cite your source. I don't think you can back this up.
Naome Lixes
11:54 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Not about Portsmouth Naome, about RIPTA - Ripta buses are prime targets for crime. Dan D
Of course this is about Portsmouth. It's remarkable, because it's rare. It's horrible because it happened on public transportation. You're making it sound as if it were
one of the signs of the apocalypse, because you're too cheap to pay an 83 cent
toll to cross a bridge. A woman died, fellow passengers were horrified and you're seizing the moment to make a political point about tolls.
Go find another rock to crawl under.
Cite your statistics, and name your verifiable source.
This sounds like "truthiness", something you feel is true regardless of the facts.
Dan D
12:48 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
SK: http://narragansett.patch.com/articles/police-log-ripta-bus-brawl-playground-fights-and-intoxicated-uri-students
simple google searches will pull up dozens of violent issues and issues such as RIPTA drivers running people over, causing accidents and other ridiculousness.
John
2:57 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
NL has nothing better to do on here but be an A Hole!!!!!!
Naome Lixes
3:58 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
"...simple google searches will pull up dozens of violent issues and issues such as RIPTA drivers running people over, causing accidents and other ridiculousness."
Dan D
Okay, so the "dozens of instances" is actually ONE instance...
Would you hand over your money at the DD counter with only one in the box?
I'm not buying this, either.
You're full of it, Skippy.
Naome Lixes
3:59 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Shaddap, John.
Grownups are talking.
John
8:36 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
lets make RIPTA safer, lets make our schools safer, lets make gun control safer,,, hmmmm, lets see here. Maybe we should repair the mental health of our citizens in this countrya little (just a little,lol) better? The law makers and lawyers are bailing the boat instead of pluging the hole!? How come our schools, transportation and gun control were fine 30 years ago? I'm beginning to loss confidance of the people in this country.
Naome Lixes
11:43 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Right, everything was better when you were a kid.
FYI - Your Grandparents said the same thing, when they got old...
http://www.alternet.org/books/whats-matter-white-people-longing-golden-age-never-was
Naome Lixes
11:55 am on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Right, everything was better when you were a kid.
FYI - Your Grand parents said the same thing, when they got old...
http://www.alternet.org/books/whats-matter-white-people-longing-golden-age-never-was
SC
1:17 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Dan none of the examples you provided were random violence, they were all victims targeted precipitated by previous altercations or they were legitimate road accidents. You've provided absolutely no info about random RIPTA violence. Chicken little had stronger legs to stand on.
John
2:54 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
your such a FI NL!
Naome Lixes
4:01 pm on Thursday, February 28, 2013
Flying Intelligentsia?
Frankly Indifferent?
It must be difficult, being the smartest microcephalic in the room. What's that like?