A man armed with a knife was shot and killed after stabbing a security guard at a Hollywood subway station Tuesday morning, authorities said.
Los Angeles Police Department officers responded around 9:10 a.m. to 1500 North Vermont Avenue to a report of a security guard being stabbed, according to Officer Kevin Terzes.
A man was found trespassing during a security check in the non-public area of the Vermont/Sunset station, according to a statement from Metro spokesman Dave Sotero. A security guard and the man then got into an altercation on the platform, during which the guard used pepper spray and the man stabbed the guard in the leg.
The security guard then shot the man twice, according to LAPD Officer Tony Im. The man fled on foot to a local hospital in Hollywood, where he was pronounced dead. The security guard was also hospitalized in undisclosed condition.
Last week, hundreds of subway drivers staged a protest in response to the growing number of attacks on drivers. As a result, dozens of bus lines were delayed.
About 360 operators, or about 10% of Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority drivers, have called in sick, according to the agency. Train and bus operators have criticized Metro for failing to respond adequately to the violence in recent weeks.
The agency recorded 168 assaults last year, including stabbings and spitting.
The assault came just two days after a driver of a Los Angeles Department of Transportation DASH bus was pushed and punched during an altercation with a passenger. Subsequently, the ministry said it would study ways to provide more protections for drivers.
“The safety of passengers and drivers of our transit services is of paramount importance to LADOT,” the department said in a statement to KCBS-TV Channel 2. “LADOT is evaluating options to improve safety, including by reinforcing existing barriers separating drivers and passengers.”
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