By Jenni Fink
Senior Editor
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A man wielding two chainsaws and making threatening comments to passengers on San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) subway system was arrested on Monday after getting off the train.
In a video posted on Twitter, the man flicked a switch on a red chainsaw multiple times and said, "Next thing you know, I'm gonna cut your freaking head off." After he put the red chainsaw down, he opened a box, which contained a second chainsaw, which was battery powered, according to the box.
As he took the chainsaw out of its packaging, he told passengers the chainsaw was electric and appeared to be reading instructions on the tag. BART told Newsweek that the train was headed for Richmond, California.
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BART responded to the video on Twitter and said that the company received multiple calls about the man on the train. The woman who posted the video on Twitter wondered why BART waited so long to do anything. BART, however, tweeted that the officers quickly positioned themselves to board the train at Lake Merritt, California, where the man ended up getting off.
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BART identified the man to Newsweek as 47-year-old Patrick Bingham, who was arrested at 4:51 p.m. PDT and booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, California, at 11:39 p.m. PDT.
"We want to thank our riders for quickly reporting the unusual incident and our officers who quickly responded," BART told Newsweek.
Records showed Bingham was charged with exhibiting a deadly weapon that was not a firearm, threatening crime with the intent to terrorize, appropriating lost property and receiving stolen property of less than $400.
Bingham was also charged with shoplifting, possession of burglary tools, possession of a controlled substance and petty theft. BART told Newsweek Bingham had outstanding arrest warrants in his name at the time of his apprehension. His bail for all of the charges equaled $87,500 and he is due to be arraigned at 9:00 a.m. PDT on Wednesday.
In 2013, BART established a Code of Conduct for riders that prohibits riders from engaging in various behaviors, including carrying or possessing any weapon in violation of the law. Riders are also banned from threatening, harming or assaulting a BART employee or passenger.
In July, 18-year-old Nia Wilson was fatally stabbed on a BART platform in Oakland, California. Her sister, Letifah Wilson, was also stabbed in the neck but survived. John Cowell was charged with Nia's murder and with attempted murder for his alleged assault on Letifah.
Nia's family filed a complaint against BART in August, claiming that her death could have been preventable, according to KGO. The family called on BART to post information about crime on the transit service inside and outside the stations and implement policies to deter crime.
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