A man who was fatally stabbed in a fight on a BART train at the transit agency’s South Hayward station Tuesday afternoon was identified by the Alameda County coroner’s bureau on Wednesday as 49-year-old Oliver Williams of Oakland.
Earlier Wednesday, BART identified the suspect as 39-year-old Jermaine Jeremiah Brim of Sacramento, who was arrested in connection with the stabbing shortly before 1 p.m. Tuesday on a Warm Springs-bound train.
BART said in a news release that it appears that Brim and Williams got into a physical confrontation after Brim tried to steal shoes from another passenger who apparently was asleep and Williams intervened when he saw the attempted theft.
Williams took out a knife during his confrontation with Brim, but Brim was able to control the knife and allegedly used it to stab Williams multiple times, according to BART.
Officers were able to get a good description of Brim and arrested him a short time later on Tennyson Road, about a block away from the South Hayward station.
BART said in the news release, “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the victim.”
In response to the fatal stabbing, BART General Manager Bob Powers and interim police Chief Ed Alvarez are working in conjunction with the police union to increase visible officer patrols throughout the transit agency’s system.
Brim, who is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin without bail on suspicion of murder and carjacking, tentatively is scheduled to be arraigned at the East County Hall of Justice in Dublin at 2 p.m. Thursday.
However, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office hasn’t yet filed charges against him.
27 comments
A good guy with a knife was killed by his own knife. I hate to say this but, it sounds like self defense. Even though Brim was committing a crime, he was attacked by Williams who pulled a knife on him and he defended himself.
It gets tricky though, when someone dies during the commission of a crime, the person or persons involved in that crime can be charged with murder.
The lawyers are gonna have a field day with this one.
I am sure we will hear from John Burris on this shortly. He has time now the Orinda Five (not to be confused with the Jackson 5) have been released.
Turned out the good Samaritan wasn’t so good. Pulling out a knife on someone that that had nothing to do with you turned fatal. Cut and dry case of self defense.
You were the one who said two WCPD officers were not justified in shooting a guy running at them with a metal pipe.
Now it’s OK to stab a disarmed person? I have no doubt if the person using deadly force was a police officer you’d be singing a different tune.
Hypocrisy thy name is TramaRx
As strange as this seems……TraumaRx is likely right on this one. A petty theft does not warrant a threat with a deadly weapon.
108RS
Tragic loss of life for no good reason. RIP. Prayers for the family.
He left home carrying a deadly weapon (knife).
He pulls a knife on someone to protect someone’s shoes.
He’s killed with his own deadly weapon.
At most, the guy will plead guilty to voluntary manslaughter which is 11 years.
Are you an attorney or did you watch Law and Order to come to your conclusion?
@ TraumaRX we can say the same for you as well to wit: “Cut and dry case of self defense.”
It may very well be self-defense but was the force after the disarming afterwards objectively reasonable? Time will tell.
I miss Law and Order, this would be a great episode.
This is why people need to mind their own business. Don’t try to be a hero.
I witnessed an attempted robbery of a sleeping man. I moved away to call the BART police. Unfortunately, in the crowded car, I could not see the car number blocked by those standing. As I was talking to the dispatcher and asking people standing to tell me the car #, none seem to understand which number was the car number printed clearly across the connecting door if you are tall enough to see it. The robber came toward me. I was scared and said to the dispatcher, “Oh, he’s coming after me.” She said, “Don’t worry. He’s not.” As she insisted she needed the car number to call police to the scene, how did she know I was safe? Yes, there are cameras on the train but she supposedly didn’t know on which one I was riding. Made a note to myself to know the car number every time I ride.
He was released from a hospital a short time before. This should be interesting.
I tried to use the apps few years ago to report a group of about 10 young guys drinking alcohol, screaming obscenities, and threatening people around them on a train in oakland. Instead of responding they called me and wanted me to describe what each one was wearing…I was sitting feet away…I wasnt going to obviously be calling the cops on them. When I told the dispatcher that I was too close and felt unsafe doing so but they would be easy to identify since they were drinking and screaming and yelling she got mad at me. It took them until the concord station to respond and by then the guys had gotten off.
Plenty of Eyewitnesses / Spectators but all too yella to lend a Hand.
I guess people cannot grasp STRENGTH IN NUMBERS.
SAD. Society is done.
There are some people who without a second thought defend those being preyed upon. Steve and Rik, I think I just threw up a little.
That poor man that was killed just doing what was right. And BART just as unsafe as ever. I won’t ride BART anymore bc of the crime.
sad case… And this is why when I move back from Texas I will still carry my Glock23 better safe then sorry…
BART is public transportation. Therefore you will get mentally ill that are dangerous and unstable as passengers mixed up with the innocent. Beware I would say. We also live in a violent society. The odds are pretty risky.
Steve,
A good attorney would argue that this was not a robbery, since the person was asleep, no fear for personal safety could be present. It would more likely have been written up and prosecuted as a petty theft.
I often get involved in good samaritan issues, but I’ve had the best training in the world.
108RS
It won’t help this good Samaritan, but your assailant should never see your weapon and you should never produce it without intent to use. Not PC but street-wise tips that can save your life.
Commuting situations like this is exactly why I happily moved to Nevada.Yeah it’s the wild Wild West out here to but ppl respect personal space better because they know everybody is packing,haven’t had a road rage incident the entire year I’ve been here ,in California every other day..
How about you let law abiding citizens carry firearms like other states cause The police can’t be everywhere and we’re really over populated here to the point where it seems pretty common sense to let people defend themselves Properly.
I Couldn’t agree with you more Bill.
Bill,
in this instance the result would have been that the firearm would have been taken away and used on its owner, as the knife was. I’m not sure a heavily armed society is any safer. Heck, people can’t drive and a huge number of them do that every day. Now imagine those same people carrying guns and getting involved in something they’ve never experienced. Now, lots of people get hurt and not by the petty thief.
wouldn’t work … Need to appreciate criminals in this state have liberal politicians on their side, in that they are all but guaranteed their victims will not have a lethal weapon or firearm with them.
That they may do their crime with little fear of failure or injury.
CA criminals with that knowledge, are emboldened.
A criminal thinking about committing a crime in a state where citizens can carry concealed, are hesitant. Keep in mind majority of criminals lack empathy towards their fellow man and are impulsive. If it were Texas, criminals have fear of ending up dead and well they should.
The DA will probably let him go for a lack of evidence.
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