At the Forest Hills bus station late Friday morning (ET), riders were pushed into the kind of pause that turns a commute into a vigil: police activity at the upper busway, ambulances on scene, and the uncertainty that follows when a public space becomes a crime scene. One person was taken into custody, and six people — including two transit police officers — were taken to hospitals after the incident at the Forest Hills MBTA station, Boston EMS said.
What happened at Forest Hills?
Transit police responded around 11: 15 a. m. (ET) to the Forest Hills Upper Busway after reports of a man armed with a knife threatening people and trying to stab tires on a bus, Transit Police Chief Richard Sullivan said. When officers located the suspect, a struggle ensued.
During that struggle, police said an officer’s weapon discharged, but no one was struck. Investigators are working to determine how the weapon was discharged. The suspect was taken into custody at the scene, and the names of those involved have not been released.
How many people were hurt, and what do officials say?
Boston EMS confirmed that six people were transported to hospitals. Two of those transported were transit police officers,. The initial officer involved sustained a knee injury and was taken to a hospital. A second officer was also taken to a hospital. The severity of other injuries among those transported was not immediately clear.
Richard Sullivan, Transit Police Superintendent, described the suspect as “very violent” and said the suspect was armed with a butcher knife. Sullivan also said the suspect grabbed for the officer’s weapon before officers ultimately gained control of him. No one was stabbed, and no one was hit by the gunshot, Sullivan said.
Sullivan said the suspect would face a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, at the very least.
What changed for riders in the moment?
The MBTA said the Forest Hills Upper Busway was temporarily closed due to police activity, urging riders to board all buses in the lower busway. The MBTA also said Orange Line service was running as usual.
As the response unfolded, video from the scene showed Boston police and transit police cruisers blocking the entrance to the station, with detectives and officers patrolling the area. Evidence markers were visible on the ground near a white Nike sneaker.
One neighborhood resident said she heard a shot and a scream before law enforcement and ambulances swarmed the busway, capturing the abrupt shift from routine to alarm that commuters experienced at Forest Hills.
What investigators are focusing on now
Officials have not shared details about the broader nature of the investigation, beyond the reported threats, the struggle, and the discharge of the officer’s weapon. Police have said they are investigating how the weapon discharged.
For now, the official picture remains bounded by what has been confirmed: a knife reported, a struggle, a gunshot that struck no one, and multiple hospital transports. It is a developing situation, with authorities indicating more information may follow as the investigation continues.
Back at the busway, a familiar place feels different
In the hours after the incident, the operational instructions were straightforward — upper busway closed temporarily, riders redirected to the lower busway — yet the emotional afterimage is harder to reroute. A station designed for movement became a place where people listened for what they could not yet explain: what led to the struggle, how a weapon discharged, and how six people ended up in hospitals in the span of a late-morning commute (ET).
At Forest Hills, service advisories can restore the mechanics of travel. The harder work now sits with investigators sorting out the discharge of the weapon and the events that brought officers and a suspect into contact — so that the next rider stepping into the busway can do so with fewer unanswered questions.
