Link Light rail re-opens after stabbing in Rainier Valley

12:15 P.M. UPDATE:

Sound Transit is reporting 1 Line to Northgate experiencing moderate service delays until further notice due to police activity, but all stations are open and functioning.

ORIGINAL:

A stabbing on the Link Light rail has shut down part of the system in the Rainier Valley.

Seattle Police said the stabbing happened in the 7100 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way South, around 10:30 this morning.

Police tell KIRO Newsradio the stabbing suspect initially refused to surrender to authorities at the Othello station.

More on Seattle crime: Stabbing suspect shot by police in downtown Seattle

However, he is now under arrest and any threat to the public is over.

HAPPENING NOW: 1 person has been stabbed near the Othello station and police have a suspect in custody.

We don’t know what happened beforehand. Train service is being impacted as police investigate.

Witness says he wasn’t told about stabbing until after he got off at next stop. pic.twitter.com/szbV5o7Yul

— Sam Campbell (@HeySamCampbell) July 21, 2023

“They wouldn’t let anyone off and then the police came in five or 10 minutes,” said Bob Mercer, who was on the train. “They told everyone to get off and come over here. Then they roped it all off.”

One person was stabbed and taken to Harborview Medical Center. There are no details about the suspect.

There’s also no information yet on the possible motive for the stabbings.

Another neighbor in the area said, “The stabbing doesn’t surprise me. There is a lot of drug use around here. You can see people using fentanyl.”

The police investigation means Light rail is not running in that part of the Rainier Valley Friday morning.

The northbound Sound Transit 1 Line to Northgate is “experiencing significant service delays,” transit authorities say.

Buses are taking people between the Columbia City and Rainier Beach stations.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.