August 10, 2023
SEATTLE, WA—In footage first obtained by the Jason Rantz Show, an ex-convict can be seen stabbing a fellow passenger on the Seattle light rail more than a dozen times in what prosecutors deemed a “random and incredibly violent” attack.
Ishmail Brown, African-American, is now charged with first and second-degree assault in connection to a July 21 knife attack on 51-year-old Tin Vi Pham.
“The defendant is a serious danger to the community,” Brynn Jacobson, King County Senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, wrote in the court filing. “The victim happened to be on the light rail at the same time as the defendant, sitting towards the back of the train. The defendant got up and attempted to open the doors, as if he missed his stop. He then turned back around, approached the victim and began to stab him without any provocation.”
Sound Transit's light rail is dangerous to ride. Here, a prolific offender is accused of randomly stabbing a stranger in Seattle. The transit riders come to the man's rescue, risking injury to death in doing so. They're heroes. pic.twitter.com/2fgVVXcBSF
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) August 6, 2023
“The victim was essentially trapped in his seat as the defendant plunged the knife down from above, over and over again,” the prosecutor continued. “The other passengers scrambled to find a way to help the victim once they realized what was happening. One passenger resorted to using his bag as a shield as others helped the victim escape while another threw his shoes at the defendant.”
“Thanks to the bravery of the other passengers on the train, the victim was able to escape, though he still suffered 18 stab wounds and required emergency medical care,” Jacobson concluded. “This attack was both random and incredibly violent.”
Brown has felony convictions from 2008 for second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and from 2016 for second-degree arson. He also has a 2002 reckless driving misdemeanor conviction, a reckless driving/racing conviction in 2004, and a misdemeanor DV no contact order violation in 2014.
Pham suffered ten stabs/cuts on the left leg, one stab/cut on the right leg, three stabs/cuts on the left hand, two stabs/cuts on the right hand and one stab/cut to the left of the face, according to FOX News.
The state has requested bail be set at $1.5 million. Brown refused to appear for a probable cause hearing, therefore bail has not been set yet.
Feature Screenshots via X