PHOENIX — In June of 2023, court records state Michael Johnson assaulted an 83-year-old man at the Phoenix light rail stop at 12th Street and Washington.
The video shows Johnson hitting and kicking the man multiple times. The victim's attorney, Allan Mooshekh, said he believes the attack was unprovoked.
Johnson eventually pleaded guilty to an aggravated assault charge and was sentenced to five years in prison.
Mooshekh is representing the now 84-year-old victim in a lawsuit brought against the City of Phoenix, Valley Metro, Allied Universal Security and others.
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ABC15 found in Valley Metro’s quarterly reportthat there were 13 felonious assaults on the light rail in June of 2023 alone.
“In January of 2023 through about July of 2023 there were about 100 assaults on light rails throughout the Valley and over 80 of them were in the City of Phoenix alone,” Mooshekh said. “One attack is too many. Over 100 is ridiculous.”
Valley Metro provided the following statement to ABC15 following this report:
"Valley Metro is saddened by the criminal act that occurred on June 20, 2023, and have fully cooperated with law enforcement to bring the assailant to justice. While incidents like this are rare, we remain committed to delivering our customers to their destinations safely each day through our security presence and police partnerships. If you see something while riding the light rail, say something by calling 9-1-1 or by reporting it through the Alert VM app, which is monitored in real time."
Read their Security Fact Sheet here and agency safety plan here.
Read the full lawsuit filing below
