UPDATE: Lafayette BART resumed normal service and timetables at 1:50 p.m.
Local police converged on the Lafayette BART station at around 10 a.m. Sunday after a stabbing incident was reported there.
Numerous agencies were involved in a joint search for man described as a white male, 20s, with blonde hair and wearing a green jacket.
From BART:
At approximately 9:45 am, a suspect approached a patron on the Lafayette platform and, according to witnesses, attempted to rob him of his backpack. When the victim refused, the suspect then produced a knife.
The first victim, described as a 20 year old male, sustained a minor injury to the head. A second victim, described as a 19 year old male, sustained a hand injury. Both were transported to John Muir Medical Center for non life-threatening injuries. It is unclear whether they know each other, or if they have any relationship with the attacker. A third injured party was reported by witnesses but left the scene before police arrived.
The suspect, an unshaven white male with short, blonde hair between the ages of 30 and 40 was last seen wearing a green army jacket and black backpack. He fled the scene on foot.
Police are actively searching for the suspect, and investigators are pulling station and platform video for evidence.
Lafayette Station was closed immediately following the incident and remains closed as of 11:45 a.m. with trains running through in both directions. Officers searched trains at Pleasant Hill but the suspect could not be immediately located.
A bus bridge has been established between Orinda and Lafayette stations for passengers whose final destination is Lafayette. Mutual Aid has been granted via County Connection.
We are working to identify and arrest the suspect as well as return to normal train service. There is no indication of any further threat to passengers as a result of this incident and the investigation is ongoing.
Hope they catch him
I had no idea there were that many police in this area!
A LOT of police out there but a very muted response – not a lot of sirens. Is this a new tactic?
Another one?
Incidents like this will become more and more common if Lafayette continues to welcome homeless people. Just look at SF.
Strange that the third victim left the station before police arrived. Could this have been a drug deal gone wrong?
That got our attention. What do you have planned for tomorrow.
@Brendan – A quiet lunch, some putt putt golf. Our nerves can’t handle anything more than that.
Who says the burbs are boring???
Commuting in my car tomorrow. Crappy traffic but I do feel better about the ride.
@NEWS24-680 – Yeah, let’s just make jokes about how boring Lafayette is after people were stabbed. As a young woman, I can’t help but feel like a sitting duck on BART and have stopped taking it. I grew up in Lafayette and always loved that BART was so convenient to get around the Bay Area. Now it’s no longer an option for me, and that’s truly sad.
More worried about the germs on the seats than I am of being knifed but so sorry this happened. Wish they could get some of these issues sorted but it’s difficult I know.
I don’t think bart is any more dangerous than most areas but I do think there is an element that uses the system to move around and that if you ride the system long enough you are going to encounter one of them .
I think the thugs have become frequent users of Bart. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re the ones that often jumped the fair Gates or take the elevator down to get out without paying. It was infrequent that I used to see really scary people on the system but now you seem to be all over.