New Mexico man arrested for slashing city bus commuter with ‘Japanese-like sword’
By Carl Samson
December 15, 2022
A man in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been arrested in connection with a sword attack on a city bus on Tuesday.
The incident reportedly occurred in the area of Edith and Montaño NW in the North Valley at around 4:30 p.m. Upon arriving, a sheriff’s deputy saw a man “bleeding severely from a laceration to the left eye socket and from a laceration from the left ear (lobe),” according to a criminal complaint seen by the Albuquerque Journal.
Speaking to the deputy, the bus driver recalled traveling east on Montaño when he heard two male passengers having an argument. After pulling over, one of the men pulled out a sheathed “Japanese-like sword.”
The driver ordered the sword-wielding man to leave the bus. A physical altercation then ensued between the pair of passengers, leading to the sword-wielder being pushed off the bus.
The man then unsheathed his sword, ran back to the bus and pursued the victim. He swung the sword toward the left side of the victim’s face, causing a “severe laceration.”
At some point, the attacker lost his grip on the sword and dropped it, but he continued to attack the victim with closed fists, the complaint said.
The other passengers reportedly managed to break up the fight. The sword-wielding man left the bus but was arrested shortly after with blood still on his hands.
The perp allegedly tried to give police a false name and date of birth. However, police were able to identify him as 24-year-old Brian Lee.
Court records show Lee is a repeat offender, having been charged with battery in 2018 and 2021 and battery upon a peace officer in 2017, 2018 and February 2022.
In connection with Tuesday’s incident, Lee has been charged with aggravated battery against a household member causing great bodily harm and concealing identification. According to KRQE, he was booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center.
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