A ride home on an MBTA bus took a violent turn Sunday night when a Dorchester man says he stepped in after another passenger began harassing an older woman and ended up suffering multiple stab wounds.
Shane Vautour said he had just finished working as a bartender and was riding the Route 22 bus when the incident unfolded. According to Vautour, an older woman boarded the bus and began speaking with other passengers before another man started yelling at her.
Vautour said the man made racist and sexual remarks toward the woman and became increasingly aggressive. He told reporters that as he was preparing to leave the bus near Humboldt Avenue and Seaver Street in Roxbury, he noticed the man holding a knife.
That was when Vautour decided to intervene.
He said he confronted the man and was immediately stabbed. Vautour, who has martial arts training, said he managed to grab the knife during the struggle and pull it away from the other passenger.
The confrontation left Vautour with a stab wound to his abdomen and several cuts to his hands. More recent reporting said the abdominal wound was about three inches long, while injuries to his fingers affected his ability to bend two of his knuckles.
After getting off the bus, Vautour said he collapsed near the bus stop. Another passenger with medical training came to his aid, something Vautour believes may have helped prevent the situation from becoming even more serious. He later said that, despite the number of injuries, doctors determined they were not life-threatening.
Transit Police said the other man involved in the confrontation was located and taken into custody. Authorities have not publicly identified that man or released all details of the potential charges against him.
The case became more complicated for Vautour when investigators told him he could also face an assault and battery complaint.
Vautour said he was surprised by the decision because he believed he had been trying to protect the woman. He also questioned how much of the confrontation could be seen on the bus surveillance footage, saying the camera angle did not clearly capture everything that happened and that the recording did not contain audio.
Transit Police have said they intend to seek criminal complaints against both people involved in the confrontation. The investigation remains ongoing, and the circumstances leading up to the physical fight will ultimately be considered as the case moves forward.
For Vautour, the incident has left him dealing with injuries while preparing to defend himself in court. He said he would have continued to feel guilty if he had left the bus and later learned that the woman had been seriously hurt.
The incident also highlights how quickly a confrontation on public transportation can escalate, particularly when a weapon is involved. For now, authorities are continuing to investigate what happened inside the bus and what led to the stabbing.
