DETROIT – A Detroit Department of Transportation bus driver accused of stabbing a passenger is heading to trial on two of the three charges.
Troy A. Lincoln, 55, of West Bloomfield, was charged with the stabbing of a 25-year-old man from Warren. Prosecutors said Lincoln stabbed the Warren man on a DDOT bus during an argument.
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The stabbing happened at 6:29 p.m. on July 1, 2025, in the area of Gratiot Avenue and East Seven Mile Road.
Prosecutors said the Warren man had lacerations to the left side of his abdomen and the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Lincoln was initially charged with assault with intent to murder, assault with intent to do great bodily harm and felonious assault.
What happened in preliminary hearing
A preliminary hearing was held on July 17 to determine if there was enough evidence for Lincoln to go to trial on the charges he faces.
The only person who testified in the hearing was the 25-year-old victim.
The victim testified that he tried to get on the bus Lincoln was driving on July 1. The 25-year-old learned he didn’t have the right amount of change to ride, so he asked if he could ride for free or negotiate with Lincoln to let him ride with his remaining change.
The victim said Lincoln told him to get off the bus. This led to the two arguing while the victim was off the bus and Lincoln was still in the driver’s seat. The victim recalled Lincoln becoming aggressive towards him.
At one point, the victim spat on the Plexiglass barrier that was in front of Lincoln.
Security footage was displayed in court showing the altercation happening, as well as the victim spitting on the Plexiglass. The video also showed Lincoln getting out of his seat and walking towards the victim outside the bus. The video stops before the alleged assault happened.
The victim testified that Lincoln punched him in the face, then stabbed him in the face, arms, chest and stomach area.
The victim left and was taken to a hospital. Images of the victim’s wounds were shown in court.
The prosecutor tried to call an officer who recovered the knife at the scene to testify in the hearing, but the judge declined to call any other witnesses.
The judge found that, based on the images taken of the victim’s wounds, the injuries were more of lacerations rather than stab wounds. He determined that the injuries were not severe enough to prove there was intent to murder the victim.
However, the judge found that there was enough evidence that an assault involving a knife had happened and determined Lincoln would be bound over for trial on the charges of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and felonious assault.
Lincoln is expected to appear in circuit court on July 31.