SEPTA passenger hurt in meat cleaver attack near Philly police headquarters
“There are uses for a meat cleaver," said Chief Inspector Scott Small. "Why this individual had to be clever on the SEPTA bus we don’t know."
A SEPTA passenger was hurt and another is in custody following an odd attack on a bus in Center City overnight.
Police said two 45-year-old men got into a fight on a SEPTA bus around 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning near Broad and Callowhill Streets, right outside Police Headquarters. At some point during the fight, one of the men pulled out a meat cleaver and began slashing, leading to cuts on the other passenger’s head and hand.
“According to other passengers on the bus, the individual with the meat cleaver started chanting, saying some things, possibly had some mental health issues because he wasn’t making sense,” Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters.
» READ MORE: Violent crime on SEPTA has decreased. Here’s what we know.
Photos of the bus shared on social media showed it displaying “PLEASE CALL POLICE” on its overhead message
The injured passenger was taken to the hospital and was in stable condition, according to police.
The suspected attacker was taken into custody, and the meat cleaver was recovered by police.
“There are uses for a meat cleaver, usually to cut meat for use in a kitchen or butcher shop. Why this individual had to be cleaver on the SEPTA bus we don’t know,” Small said.
Despite this incident, violent crime on SEPTA is down from last year.