A Detroit man attacked two men at a bus stop in a suburb of Detroit after asking if they were Muslims.
Police arrested Terrence Lavaron Thomas, 39, for two counts of assault with intent to murder after he attacked one man at a bus stop in Southfield, Mich., in the face, neck and back, and another in the hand after he tried to stop the attack.
According to police, Thomas approached the men at a bus stop at 10:30 p.m. and asked if they were Muslim. They said they were not. According to Southfield Police Chief Eric Hawkins, after responding in the negative the suspect and the victims had “some back-and-forth” then Thomas started stabbing one of them, a 52-year-old man. The other man, 51, tried to stop him and was stabbed in the hand.
Thomas then ran away and was picked up a few miles away by police in Detroit. He is being held on $1 million bond and faces a preliminary hearing on March 4.
Thomas reportedly told police he was a Muslim. Chief Hawkins said, “We are getting indications through my officers that the suspect was somewhat incoherent afterward, and so there’s a question about his stability.”
The suspect was allegedly picked up with two knives and marijuana. He also faces charges of possessing “a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent and possession of a controlled substance.”
The men were treated for “non-life-threatening injuries” and released.
The FBI have been contacted and will help determine if possible hate-crime charges will be added to those pending against Thomas.
