Passenger assaults Amtrak conductor near Whitefish
WHITEFISH -- An Amtrak train was halted unexpectedly near Whitefish after a passenger was forcibly removed for allegedly hitting the train's conductor.
According to Amtrak officials, a male passenger had become unruly and BNSF police requested assistance from the Flathead County Sheriff's office.
The suspect, whose name has not yet been released, was allegedly in a physical confrontation with the train's conductor.
Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari says his officers acted quickly: "Our highest priority is the safety of our passengers and our crew and if there is someone who won't comply with directions from the conductor and if their behavior is disruptive, they will receive warnings but in the end if they still don't comply with those directions, we'll hand them over to the emergency responders whether they need medical treatment or they need to be somehow incarcerated."
[SIZE=medium]According to court documents, the suspect is already registered as a violent offender, and was taken to the Flathead County Detention [/SIZE]Center, but was not listed on the jail roster as of Friday afternoon.