Coroner Identifies Good Samaritan Killed In Fatal BART Train Stabbing
HAYWARD (CBS SF) -- The Alameda County Coroner on Wednesday released the identity of the man who was fatally stabbed on a BART train in South Hayward after trying to stop a suspect from stealing a sleeping passenger's shoes.
The coroner identified the man as 49-year-old Oakland resident Oliver Williams.
Williams died after an altercation with a 39-year-old Sacramento man on a Warm Springs-bound BART train Tuesday afternoon. BART police said the suspect -- identified as Jeremiah Brim -- was booked into Santa Rita Jail on a variety of charges including murder and attempted carjacking.
Additional new details about the deadly confrontation were released by the transit agency Wednesday morning.
BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez said the fight began as the train was leaving the Bayfair Station and "lasted 8 to 10 minutes."
Investigators said it appeared that Brim and Williams got into a physical confrontation after the suspect tried to steal shoes from another passenger who was apparently asleep.
Williams intervened when he saw the attempted theft. During the confrontation between the two men, a knife was produced by Williams. The men struggled over control of the knife. Once Brim gained control of the weapon, he is alleged to have used it to stab Williams multiple times.
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Brim provided an address out of Sacramento when he was booked at Santa Rita Jail Tuesday.
KPIX 5 also learned that, at time of attack, the suspect was considered a missing person at risk from a hospital in San Leandro. Brim reportedly walked away from the facility of his own volition.
BART commuters were on guard Wednesday morning.
"I do try my best to be aware of my surroundings and make sure that I'm not in a position where anything bad could happen to me," said BART commuter Sofia Lopez. "I'm not scared, no. I mean, I have pepper spray."
"I watched every move that everybody made because I didn't want the same thing to happen to me," said BART Rider Lebrie Goudy-Lee.
Goudy-Lee expressed shock over the violence that happened Tuesday.
"I'm just very surprised," he said. "I didn't really think anything like that would happen on BART, especially this area, because this area is a nice area."
Wednesday afternoon, BART General Manager Bob Powers and interim police Chief Ed Alvarez are working in conjunction with the police union to increase visible officer patrols throughout the transit agency's system in response to the fatal stabbing.
Brim is tentatively scheduled to be arraigned at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin at 2 p.m. Thursday.
However, the Alameda County District Attorney's Office hasn't yet filed charges against him.
