Minneapolis man charged in stabbing on Metro Transit bus

A Minneapolis man has been charged in connection to a stabbing earlier this week on a Metro Transit bus.

Court documents show that 41-year-old Jarelle Thomas Vaughn is charged with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, including one that caused substantial bodily harm.

Metro Transit said it happened at around 1:30 p.m. on a southbound Route 5 bus near Chicago and Franklin avenues.

RELATED: Man stabbed aboard Metro Transit bus in Minneapolis

Witnesses told police that Vaughn got on the bus, was talking to himself and then took out a knife and tried to stab the person next to him, a criminal complaint states. While his first attempt left just a superficial wound, the second attempt seriously hurt the man, requiring surgery and stitches to his abdomen.

Vaughn then allegedly struck a woman with the knife before leaving the bus. The woman “was bleeding profusely,” witnesses told police, but her injury was a superficial wound.

The bus operator drove the victims a short distance to Children’s Minnesota Hospital for treatment, Metro Transit said.

Officers got surveillance video that showed the assaults and confirmed the witnesses’ accounts.

Vaughn was arrested a short time after the assaults.

His first court appearance is set for Friday afternoon. The higher assault charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.