Man accused of taking MAX passenger hostage pleads guilty

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - A 42-year-old man accused of taking a TriMet MAX train passenger hostage in May 2022 pleaded guilty on Thursday, according to court records.

Marcus Dwaine Tate pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and unlawful use of a weapon. He was sentenced the same day to four years in prison with three years of post-prison supervision.

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On May, 24, 2022 at about 2:30 p.m., transit police responded to the TriMet Mt. Hood MAX Station at 9299 Northeast Cascade Parkway after the report of a disturbance.

When officers arrived, they found a man, later identified as Tate, was armed with a knife in one hand and what appeared to be a hotdog skewer in the other. Police said he was holding a passenger hostage on the train, and the MAX operator had been forced to shelter in place in the train’s cabin.

SEE ALSO: Portland police employee arrested in connection to unsolved 2021 murder

The transit police requested back-up and tactical police units responded to the scene.

When the tactical units arrived, they used flash-bangs to distract the suspect, then boarded the train and took him into custody. Then, they helped the passenger and train operator exit the train. Neither the operator nor passenger were hurt, police said.

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