Crime

Somerville man arrested after allegedly threatening T bus operator for driving too slowly

The man told the operator he was "f***ing driving too slowly," according to police.

Jim Davis / The Boston Globe, File

By Madeleine Aitken

1 minute to read

A Somerville man was taken into custody Friday for allegedly threatening an MBTA bus driver.

Wakell Steele, 22, boarded the bus in Davis Square shortly before 6:30 p.m. and, after a short time, requested a stop and then approached the operator of the stopped bus near Highland Avenue and Benton Street, demanding his money back and saying he was “f***ing driving too slowly,” according to MBTA Transit Police.

Steele then allegedly picked up a chock block — a roughly 5 pound block of wood that is used to secure a bus’s tires when it’s not in use — from the front of the bus. He took an “aggressive stance” and again demanded a refund, police said.

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The operator pushed past Steele to exit the bus and pointed him out to officers who caught up to him as he was walking toward Central Street, according to police.

When officers tried to engage him in conversation, Steele allegedly challenged them to remove their duty belts. He was taken into custody for assault by mean of a dangerous weapon.

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