Summary: Prosecutors say 40-year-old Demetrius Thurman allegedly filmed himself stabbing a sleeping passenger, 37-year-old Dominique Pollion, aboard a Chicago Blue Line train at about 2:17 a.m. Surveillance footage and recordings on Thurman’s phone, along with a facial recognition match and a police officer’s prior encounter, led to his arrest. Thurman faces a first-degree murder charge; his next court date is Jan. 20. The case comes as the CTA faces federal pressure to strengthen transit safety measures.
Caught on Camera: Man Allegedly Films Fatal Stabbing of Sleeping Passenger on Chicago Blue Line
Suspect accused of killing sleeping passenger on Chicago train filmed himself carrying out attack: prosecutors
A man accused of fatally stabbing a sleeping passenger on a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Blue Line train allegedly recorded the assault and its aftermath on his cellphone, prosecutors say.
Who: Prosecutors identify the suspect as 40-year-old Demetrius Thurman and the victim as 37-year-old Dominique Pollion.
Prosecutors allege that Demetrius Thurman recorded a fatal Chicago train stabbing and its aftermath on his phone, with CTA video helping identify him as a suspect.(Fox News)
What happened: Court records reviewed by local media say Pollion had been asleep on a train car for nearly an hour and had no interaction with Thurman prior to the attack. Authorities allege Thurman approached from behind at about 2:17 a.m., began recording on his phone and stabbed Pollion twice—once in the chest near the heart and once in the abdomen—with a knife described as having a bright-orange handle.
Pollion awoke screaming, attempted to back away down the aisle and then collapsed. Other passengers and transit staff summoned help; Pollion was taken to a nearby hospital and later died, according to prosecutors.
A security officer talks with a passenger on a Blue Line train at the CTA Forest Park station in Chicago.
Evidence and identification: CTA surveillance footage captured the assault and subsequent events on the train, and prosecutors say video of the incident was also stored on Thurman’s phone. Immediately after the stabbing, Thurman allegedly recorded himself, pointing the phone at his face. At the Clark/Lake station, a passenger alerted platform security; while outside the train car Thurman is alleged to have filmed himself again and said, "somebody got his ass," before leaving the station.
Investigators extracted images from surveillance video and submitted them to Illinois' facial recognition program, which produced a match. A Chicago police officer who had encountered Thurman days earlier recognized him from the images after recalling a prior encounter in which Thurman was sleeping on a Blue Line train and presented a driver’s license.
Investigators allege that a Chicago man recorded a fatal Blue Line train stabbing and its aftermath on his phone, with CTA video helping identify the suspect.
Thurman was arrested the following day. Prosecutors say he was wearing the same clothing seen in the surveillance footage and was carrying a cellphone that contained recordings of the stabbing and photos of other passengers sleeping on the train. Court filings also state a relative identified Thurman in the surveillance images and that he admitted to the stabbing. He is charged with first-degree murder.
Context: Local reporting notes Thurman’s criminal history includes disorderly conduct and DUI, and a traffic arrest in 2023. His next court date is scheduled for Jan. 20. The incident adds to federal scrutiny of CTA safety after a separate November incident in which a man set a woman on fire aboard a downtown train; in mid-December federal transit officials ordered the CTA to submit a stronger safety plan within 90 days or risk losing up to a quarter of its federal operating funds.
Note: All allegations are from prosecutors and court records; charges and claims remain subject to the legal process.
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