PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The suspect who allegedly shoved a man in front of a MAX train was back in court Thursday to face several charges, including attempted murder.
The victim who narrowly walked away with his life is now speaking out after a quick-thinking MAX operator was able to deploy the emergency brake in the nick of time.
Patrick Kirby said he’s grateful to be alive. Though he’s ready to put the past behind him, he said he still feels anxious coming back to work.
“I'm just trying to move on and keep going,” Kirby said.
He said he’s still shaken up over what happened to him Tuesday afternoon. After getting off work, he was waiting for a train at the Providence Park MAX station in the heart of downtown Portland.
“The train comes up. I see it coming. A day like any other. All of a sudden, I just feel a shove from behind me. And then I'm on the track,” Kirby said.
According to investigators, that shove allegedly came from Michael Moreland, who was in court Wednesday pleading not guilty. Moreland is accused of pushing Kirby in front of the oncoming train.
“All of a sudden, I see a MAX coming to the left of me. I don't really register the danger or anything. It hadn't really sunk in. But I am glad that driver stopped as quickly as they did and they're my hero,” he said.
Dave Chastain is that MAX operator Kirby now considers a hero. He spoke with KOIN 6 News about slowing down when he saw the suspect.
“I saw a gentleman running and I had a single train. I just assumed he was running towards the front of the platform to get to where the single train was going to be,” Chastain said. “All of a sudden, he ran towards the tracks and shoved the guy right into the tracks in front of me.”
“I never talked to him in my life,” Kirby said about the suspect. “I don't believe I've even really noticed him around here.”
Multnomah County Sheriff’s deputies later arrested Moreland. Not only was he accused of shoving Kirby, but court documents also show Moreland allegedly punched a man in the face and robbed multiple people while armed with a pair of scissors.
Kirby said he’s not sure why he was targeted. However, he has this message for the hero MAX operator:
“I am thankful it was you there and I am sorry that you had to go through this experience as well.”
Kirby said he’s now staying away from the MAX platform and won’t be riding the train moving forward. He’s been using other modes of transportation to get around town, instead.
Moreland will appear before a grand jury next week on Friday, May 31.
