Four teens were arrested Tuesday after allegedly attacking a man on a Madison Metro bus.
According to a Madison Police Department statement, the suspects are all males from Madison, ranging from ages 14 to 18.
The victim, 56, was trying to get to the back of the bus when the suspects put their legs out in the aisle, MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain said.
DeSpain said one suspect tried to take the man’s wallet, so the man slapped them. At that time, another one of the suspects punched him in the head and upper torso as he went to exit, he added.
According to the statement, the man exited from the front, while the suspects left out the back and chased him down.
The statement said two suspects punched the man, while a third tripped him.
DeSpain said two suspects were located not far from where the battery took place. Madison Metro cameras were utilized to identify the other suspects.
“The bus driver was very helpful in giving a good description of the victims,” DeSpain said. Madison police are also looking for a fifth suspect, described as a male in his late teens to early 20s, according to the MPD statement.
DeSpain said there have been a couple of incidents on Madison Metro in the last week, but these problems are not typical.
Madison Metro spokesperson Mike Rusch said Metro has protocols in place to combat these types of incidents.
He said security cameras have led to arrest and prosecution, and Madison Metro also enforces an exclusion policy that can put people through a process that may lead to a ban from the bus.
Rusch said Metro has been working closely with police, who go to transfer points to keep an eye on things as well as ride on buses.
“We [Madison Metro] feel horrible that this happened and we are doing our best to try to make our buses safe,” Rusch said.
Rusch said in addition to the current security cameras in place, additional cameras are being installed at transfer points that are going to be high definition quality.
Rusch also said Metro puts their drivers through yearly training sessions, where they are given procedures to handle incidents like this.
He added if anyone has concerns, they should contact Madison Metro.