Greenville Public Works won't change procedure because of Tuesday morning stabbing

A violent scene unfolded on a city bus this morning when a fight ended in a stabbing.

It happened around 9 am while the bus made a stop on the Pitt Community College Campus in Greenville.

Police say two men, who got on the bus in different places, started arguing. It escalated until one of the men pulled a kitchen knife and stabbed the other in the back. Both men were transported to Pitt County Memorial Hospital. Neither of them are Pitt Community College students.

So just how safe can you expect to be on a city bus? Greenville administrators say they haven't seen anything like this in more than 30 years.

It may not be an every day occurrence, but Public Works Director Wes Anderson says Greenville Area Transit drivers prepare for these situations.

“He made sure it stayed stopped and he got all the other passengers off, prevented anybody else from getting on and then called the police to let the police take care of the situation," said Anderson of the drivers actions Tuesday morning.

Anderson says the driver is not responsible for breaking up the fight, just making sure no one else get injured.

Despite today’s situation, public works does not plan to change how they do things.

"I would say there’s always a concern there but just because of a fact that it's so rare of an occurrence, we don't want to go too far in the other direction. We're there to service the public and we need to provide it in such a way that it's easy for the public to use that service,” said Anderson.

He says what happened today will serve as an example for driver training in the future.

Riders like Shannon Solomon won't let today’s stabbing stop them from riding. "It happens everywhere,” she said. “I mean stuff happens in my neighborhood, it happens in everybody’s neighborhood.”

Anderson says this isn't something you should expect on a regular basis. “This is the first incident everyone who works for me can remember occurring like this and that's about 32 years."

Police at Pitt Community College say the victim, Nelson Williams of Greenville, is in stable condition at PCMH and will not be charged.

Jonathan Strickland faces assault with a deadly weapon charges. He's at the Pitt County Detention Center under a $10,000 secured bond.

--- 6 pm Update ---

A stabbing on a city bus sent two men to the hospital this morning.

It happened around 9AM on a Greenville bus that was making a stop on the campus of Pitt Community College.

Investigators say the two men were not Pitt Community College students. They got on the bus at separate stops then got into a fight about a previous disagreement on the bus. That argument ended with one of the men getting stabbed in the back.

"Hearing that somebody got stabbed on the bus, a transit bus, you know dropping kids off, that's crazy," said student Ashley Nixon.

Students like Ashley Nixon gathered around this bus stop on PCC's campus after hearing about what happened.

What the argument was over and how it started is still unclear.

The victim was still conscious when EMS arrived and found the two men still on the bus, but no longer fighting.

The man who allegedly stabbed him was taken into custody and treated for injuries on scene before being taken to the hospital.

For Nixon, this is just another incident that makes her feel less safe on campus, "People getting raped and stabbed in the biology building, it's just outrageous. I am going to try to transfer, definitely."

Other students who were waiting to take the bus this morning say it's getting more common but it doesn't really concern them.

"I'm kind of an un-cautious person to a certain extent. I mean trouble can come into the house, it's just something you have to deal with. You just have to keep moving on," says Shannon Solomon.

26 year old Jonathan Strickland of Greenville is charged with Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury. His bond is set at $10,000 secured.

The victim in this morning's altercation, a 47 year old male, is listed in stable condition at PCMH.

No other passengers were injuring.

--- Noon Update ---

Two people were taken to the hospital after an early morning stabbing at Pitt Community College.

It happened around 9am at a bus stop on campus.

Officials say the two men involved had a previous disagreement and got into an argument on the bus.

One person stabbed another in the back with a knife but we're told that person never lost consciousness and was transported to PCMH.

We'll have more details as they become available.

--- Update ---

Nine On Your Side has learned that there’s been a stabbing near a Greenville Area Transit Bus stop at the Pitt Community College campus in Greenville.

It happened around 9AM.

Nine On Your Side has confirmed that one suspect is in custody.

We'll have more details as they become available.