Intercity Transit bus driver hit in forehead with metal cup, Lacey police say

A 21-year-old man was arrested last week on suspicion of third-degree assault after he threw a metal cup at an Intercity Transit bus driver and hit her in the forehead, according to Lacey police and Thurston County Superior Court records.

About 5 p.m. Sept. 21, police were dispatched to 14th Avenue Southeast at Josephine Court Southeast, which is just east of Chambers Lake.

Police arrived to find the driver visibly upset, according to the court records.

“(She) was gripping the steering wheel with both hands and advised she could not let go due to being so worked up about the incident,” the records read.

The driver eventually calmed down and explained she had picked up two men at a previous stop. Once aboard the bus, they began using profane language as they spoke to each other, she said.

The driver responded by asking them to watch their language on the bus, but they didn’t stop, she said.

Feeling uncomfortable with their behavior, the driver stopped the bus and told the men she was calling a supervisor, according to the court records.

The two men then stood up to exit the bus, but before they did the suspect reached around into the driver’s area, grabbed the woman’s metal water cup and threw it at her, hitting the woman above the right eyebrow, according to the court records.

The two men then got off the bus and headed in opposite directions.

“Officers observed the (Intercity Transit) video and were able to identify the suspect and spent several days checking areas where he is known to spend time,” the Lacey police social media post reads.

The suspect finally was arrested Sept. 24 at an area apartment complex, the court records show.

This story was originally published September 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM.