A People Mover Bus driver is recovering after a passenger allegedly attacked her, punching her multiple times in front of other passengers, including a 7-year-old girl.
The attack was reported to Anchorage police at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The driver, Kathy Williams, told police two men tried to board in the area of Spenard Road and Minnesota Drive, but one of them didn’t have enough money for the fare.
Williams explained that when she told him he needed to pay or get off the bus, his friend, later identified as 52-year-old Daniel Tonty, acted “flirty” and said he would pay the fare, but didn’t put the money into the fare box.
“I said, ‘I really don’t have time for all of this. I need you to put your money in the fare box so that we can go. I have a lot of people that need o transfer to other buses,’” she explained.
She said that’s when Tonty became belligerent and began swearing at her. She told him she would contact police if he didn’t leave the bus willingly. Williams said at this point he said, “fine, call the cops,” and began punching her fare box and other equipment. She grabbed her radio and was about to contact her supervisor when he took it from her and threw it out the door.
“And at that point I was just scared out of my mind. I didn’t know what I was going to do. And then he got on top of me and the passengers said he was doing this,” she said, making repeated punching motions. “I don’t remember everything, I just remember screaming and trying to get help. A passenger from the back came and pulled him off the top of me.”
Williams said she wants to thank the passenger that saved her.
“I’d like to really take him out to lunch,” she said.
The Attack Continues
The ordeal wasn’t over yet, however. Williams and her rescuer managed to get Tonty off of the bus and shut the door. Williams said he walked away but came back, but when she wouldn’t open the door, he came around to the driver’s window and tried to break the window.
Williams got her cell phone out and began calling her supervisor and others for help. She said when Tonty couldn’t get in through her window, he and the other man he boarded with walked away.
Police arrived and Williams explained everything and gave them a description of Tonty.
“I’ll never forget his face ever again. It’s implanted in my mind,” she said.
Two officers found both men a short time later, and Williams confirmed their identities to police. Tonty’s hands were bloody, Williams said, although she noted she didn’t remember seeing blood on the bus.
Tonty was charged with third-degree criminal mischief for damaging the bus, a felony, and third-degree assault for attacking Williams, police confirmed. He is being held at the Anchorage Correctional Complex under $2,500 cash corporate and $2,500 performance bonds.
Driver Safety
Williams was taken to Providence Alaska Medical Center, where she was treated for neck, shoulder, head, arm and rib injuries, including bruising caused by the cord of her radio during her struggle with Tonty.
Williams said she thinks the situation would have ended differently had she been able to carry a device to protect herself. She said People Mover policy prohibits drivers from carrying Tasers, guns or any other weapons, but said passengers can board a bus with a weapon.
“If I would have had a Taser or some bear mace or something, I don’t think I would have gotten as hurt as I got,” she said. “I think I could have done something to get him off me but we’re not allowed to carry anything.”
Williams, who has been a driver with People Mover for almost six years, said she’s heard of other drivers who’ve been injured by passengers.
“One of my other friends, he’s a real neat guy, he’s one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet, he got punched on Halloween night and he had to go get stitches on his eye,” she said. “Passengers do things to us all the time. We’re not allowed to carry anything to protect us.”
Tonty has a criminal history that includes convictions of assault, harassment and criminal mischief. Williams said police told her they’ve had “run ins” with him before, and she’d like to see him banned from all buses and People Mover property, including the downtown transit center.
“We have a lot of drivers, but they’re good drivers, and we’re trying to follow the rules, we’re trying to keep our passengers safe,” she said. “None of us deserves this.”
KTVA 11′s Eric Ruble contributed to this report.
