Man with knife charged with threatening to kill everyone on Green Line trolley

BROOKLINE, Mass. — MBTA Transit Police arrested a Somerville man who’s accused of threatening to kill everyone onboard a Green Line trolley during Monday morning’s commute, according to court documents obtained by Boston 25 News.

Stephen Fusco, 52, is charged with assault by means of a dangerous weapon (knife).

Police said they were called around 7:30 a.m. to the Fairbanks Street stop on the “C” branch for a report of a man with a knife.

The woman who called police said the suspect, later identified as Fusco, got on the train at the Cleveland Circle stop. He later got out of his seat and started yelling questions at the operator before walking toward the far end of the train and accusing an unknown man of taking something he dropped on the seat.

The woman said Fusco then accused another woman of fare evading, opened a knife and threatened to her.

According to the woman who alerted police, Fusco then said “I’m going to kill everyone,” while pointing his knife at each passenger and counting each one down with his knife.

The woman told police, “I was in fear of everyone’s life. I was too afraid that if he heard me call the police it would make things worse. Instead, I used my phone to tweet the police.”

Transit police officers were dispatched to the scene. While on their way, they were notified Brookline Police had located the suspect at 626 Washington Street in Brookline.

A Brookline police officer frisked Fusco and located a gray folding knife, according to the court documents.

Fusco was placed in the back of a Brookline police cruiser. The woman viewed him through an open window and confirmed he was the man who made the threats.

“That’s him, I’m 100% sure of it,” she told police.

The officers said after they read Fusco the Miranda Warning, he told them, “I thought the guy had my knife, so I told him I had a gun. I only pulled out my knife because I wanted to verify the serial number.”

Police said they took the knife into evidence.

Fusco was arraigned in Brookline District Court Monday. The judge ordered him held without bail and committed him to Bridgewater State Hospital.

A pre-trial hearing has been scheduled for November 7.

Cox Media Group