King County Council members, union discuss how to better protect drivers, riders

King County Council members and members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), the union that represents King County Metro bus drivers, met Monday to discuss potential safety improvements to better protect drivers and riders following the Dec. 18 stabbing death of driver Shawn Yim in Seattle’s University District neighborhood.

Yim was attacked with pepper spray after a rider demanded the 59-year-old bus driver close his window, according to the Seattle Police Department (SPD). Investigators say that attack spilled off the bus where the suspect, 53-year-old Richard Sitzlack kicked Yim before dragging him into a nearby parking lot and stabbing him. Police say Yim died at the scene.

‘Let’s start with our operators:’ Security improvements urged

Since the attack, Local 587 Union President Greg Woodfill has called on the general public to pressure lawmakers to make security improvements on buses and at bus stops for drivers and anyone who rides a Metrobus. During Monday’s special security meeting, he doubled down.

“Enclose the operator’s compartment now,” Woodfill said. “I can’t stress that enough. Let’s start with our operators.”

During the meeting, Woodfill and bus union members described dangerous and violent situations they’ve experienced, including being spat on, slapped and being exposed to smoke from riders using drugs like marijuana to fentanyl. And when drivers pass by bus stops where they observe open drug use, union leaders say they are often punished.

They all added to their security wish list that guards employed by King County Metro and King County Sheriff’s Office deputies enforce rules and laws and arrest offenders.

“Mine would be supporting the operators by holding the offenders accountable,” Local 587 Secretary Latrelle Gibson said.

King County Metro General Manager Michelle Allison explained to lawmakers they are consulting with union leaders about two prototype protective shields that would better protect drivers than the now-installed protective barriers designed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re in a very different place right now,” Allison said. “There are two prototypes that meet most of those needs, not all of those needs, but most of them.”

Allison told lawmakers in the meantime they are seeing data that says, overall, incidents of violence on board buses and at bus stops are down. She cited programs like de-escalation training for drivers and crisis response teams that intervene when a rider or potential rider at a stop may be experiencing a mental crisis for the lower numbers, but added there was much more that could and will be done.

King County Council member Reagan Dunn took that sentiment a step further, and announced he will soon introduce legislation to create a Regional Task Force on Transit Safety.

“We should treat transit operators like a federal judge or United States Senator or president of the United States for that matter,” Dunn told fellow council members. “If you’re attacked or threatened, that individual is going to go to jail, period, zero tolerance.”

One of the challenges security improvement advocates face is building consensus among lawmakers across the county. Metrobus serves multiple cities and towns that are ultimately responsible for bus safety and security while those buses operate within their borders. Woodfill said in past years convincing all those different municipalities to adopt and pay for a singular safety plan has been difficult.

The violent death of Yim may act as a catalyst for change moving forward.

More on the death of Shawn Yim

On Friday, hundreds of family, friends and co-workers, and lawmakers attended a memorial service for Yim inside Lumen Field Event Center. The service began with a bus procession through the streets of Seattle that included buses and drivers from all over the Puget Sound region and Vancouver, British Columbia. Friends described Yim as a kind person who was dedicated to his job and the people he drove everyday.

More on the case: King County bus driver helps police catch man suspected of killing their colleague

The suspect, Sitzlack, was charged with first-degree murder with a deadly weapon enhancement and second-degree and third-degree assault. He pleaded not guilty during an arraignment and is being held on $5 million bail.

Luke Duecy is a reporter, editor and anchor at KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Luke’s stories here. Follow Luke on X, or email him here.