Portland man sues TriMet for alleged assault by security guards on MAX train
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — A Portland man has filed suit against TriMet after allegedly being violently attacked by two security guards on one of TriMet’s trains.
The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County Court on Dec. 22, claims assault, battery, and negligence for failing to keep James Han, the plaintiff, safe on the train.
According to Michael Fuller, lead trial attorney for Han and founder of Underdog Law Office, Han was riding home from work as a local funeral director on TriMet’s MAX Blue line train the evening of Oct. 14, when Han accidentally “bumped” into a security guard on the train.
“That guard took offense to it, put his hands on Mr. Han, while another guard came up from behind and put Mr. Han in a chokehold,” Fuller told KATU. “And then they kicked his legs out from under him and kind of tackled him into the seating area until a supervisor was able to come.”
Fuller said Han was not significantly injured, but said Han described the situation as painful as well as humiliating.
“A chokehold can kill someone,” Fuller said. “We’ve seen that happen time and time again, unfortunately in this country, especially when law enforcement are involved or on transit.”
A spokesperson for TriMet said they do not have comment because of pending litigation, but said the security guards being referred to in the lawsuit are contracted and are employees of Portland Patrol Inc. (PPI).
KATU has reached out to PPI for comment and has not heard back.
According to Fuller, the security guards in question were wearing TriMet uniforms at the time of the alleged incident.
Fuller explained the reason why Han is seeking charges against TriMet and not PPI.
“Ultimately, the buck stops with TriMet when it comes to the training of its officers,” Fuller said.
He continued, “The blame goes to TriMet. TriMet is the one that ultimately made the decision to put these particular guards on this particular train. Now, TriMet may choose to sue the company that it hired to provide these guards, but that’s between the company and TriMet.”
Fuller said this comes as TriMet has been recently scrutinized for not having enough security.
“We’ve been encouraging them to increase security, but I guess our assumption was that these were going to be trained officers and that they weren’t going to do more harm than good.”
Han is seeking compensation of no more than $415,000 and is requesting a jury trial to determine the amount.
Fuller said things are looking to be in Han’s favor.
“We recently learned that the district attorney is in fact going to press criminal charges against these two guards and that wasn’t something we knew prior to filing this civil case,” Fuller said.
KATU has reached out to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and is awaiting comment.
According to Fuller, Han declined to speak on camera.
15 dead in shooting at Bondi Beach Hanukkah event, including children
Officials said the shooting was “designed to target” the Jewish community. An event to mark the first day of Hanukkah was taking place at the iconic beach in Sydney.
Updated
December 15, 2025, 2:42 AM EST
By NBC News
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What we know
- At least 15 people were killed, police said, with 27 other people still hospitalized, including a dozen who are in critical condition, after a shooting at Australia’s famous Bondi Beach in Sydney.
- Police identified the two suspects as a father and son, ages 50 and 24. Officers fatally shot the 50-year-old at the scene, while the 24-year-old “suffered critical injuries” and was hospitalized. Officials said the son may face criminal charges.
- Officials declared the shooting a terrorist event and said it was “designed to target” Jewish people. An event to mark the first day of Hanukkah was taking place at Bondi Beach, one of Australia’s most popular tourist sites.
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would consider further tightening Australia’s already strict gun laws in light of the attack, the country’s deadliest shooting since 1996.
NEW UPDATES
Albanese urges Australians to light a candle this evening
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged Australians to light a candle at 6:47 p.m. local time (2:47 a.m. ET) and put it in their windows in solidarity with those killed and with the festival of Hanukkah.
“I would urge and join with others who have urged Australians across the country to light a candle,” he told reporters, “to show that light will indeed defeat darkness.”
Officials will look at ‘tightening’ gun laws, Australian PM says
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said officials will consider further tightening the country’s already strict gun laws after the Bondi Beach attack, which he called an “antisemitic terrorism incident” and “an unprecedented scale of attack on the Australian way of life.”
“One of the suggestions that will be on the agenda today is to have an examination of our gun laws to make sure that if there is any tightening or changes which are required, that we put in place mechanisms,” he said before a meeting in Sydney of the national cabinet.
The Australian government previously enacted a wave of gun laws after a 1996 shooting in Port Arthur, a town on the Australian island of Tasmania, that left 35 people dead and dozens more injured. Among them was an enormous gun buyback scheme.
Since the Port Arthur shooting it has been very difficult to buy weapons in Australia, which is one reason the country has been so shocked by the attack at Bondi Beach.
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28d ago / 11:52 PM EST
27 patients still hospitalized, health authorities say
At least 27 patients are still receiving care in several hospitals around Sydney, a New South Wales Health spokesperson said in a statement.
Twelve of them are in critical condition, the spokesperson said.
An earlier statement from NSW Police had said at least 40 people were injured.
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28d ago / 11:20 PM EST
Younger suspect was previously investigated for six months, Albanese says
The younger suspect was an Australian-born citizen who first came to the attention of the Australian intelligence agency in October 2019, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.
“He was examined on the basis of being associated with others,” he said. However, “an assessment was made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence,” he added.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the older suspect, the father, arrived in Australia in 1998 on a student visa and transferred to a partner visa three years later. Since then the father has been on a resident return visa.
Neither Albanese nor Burke elaborated on the son’s associations. Albanese said the investigation at the time went on for six months.
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28d ago / 10:33 PM EST
Man describes witnessing Bondi Beach shooting
Fin Green was visiting Australia from the U.K. when he witnessed the Bondi Beach shooting from his apartment window.
Green said he was catching up with his family on a video call when he suddenly heard “what sounded like fireworks.”
“I just heard, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,” Green added.
He opened his window and saw “a guy all in black” standing by a car, “just letting off shots.”
Green said he immediately knew that the man outside his window was a shooter.
“It definitely wasn’t a police officer,” Green said. “He was shooting at civilians who were just casually walking.”Show more
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28d ago / 9:53 PM EST
New South Wales premier urges tougher gun laws in wake of massacre
New South Wales officials said today that gun laws in Australia must get stricter after, they said, one of the suspects was a legally licensed firearms owner.
Australia has one of the lowest gun death rates in the world, and it’s difficult to buy weapons there. But New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said firearm laws need to become even stricter in the wake of Sunday’s massacre.
“It means introducing a bill to Parliament to — I mean, to be really blunt — make it more difficult to get these horrifying weapons that have no practical use in our community,” Minns said. “If you’re not a farmer, if you’re not involved in agriculture, why do you need these massive weapons that put the public in danger and make life dangerous and difficult for New South Wales Police?”
Minns said that he intends to introduce legislation “that makes a big difference” and that his colleagues feel the same way.
“We need to make sure the firearms legislation in New South Wales is fit for purpose,” Minns said. “That does mean restricting firearms for the general public, for the people of New South Wales, but not everybody needs these weapons of mass destruction. You don’t need them on New South Wales streets.”
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28d ago / 9:31 PM EST
Officials urge calm and say acts of revenge won’t be tolerated
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon urged Australians to remain calm and resist any urges to exact revenge following the deadly terror attack.
“This is a time for calm,” Lanyon said at a news conference. “Retribution or acts against any parts of any community will not be accepted.”
Lanyon indicated the Bondi Beach violence targeting Jewish people is not consistent with the community and said, “This is a time for the community to come together.”
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said an important aspect of the police and government response is to reassure residents, especially those of Jewish background, that they will be protected.
“We need to send a clear message to the people of this state … that New South Wales police are there to protect them, to keep them safe, and they’ve got every right to celebrate their faith.”
Minns also emphasized that acts of revenge will not be tolerated.
“We are not going to allow, ever, a situation where we descend into some kind of lawlessness,” Minns said. “And if you are considering participating in something like that, you can expect a massive, overwhelming police response. It will not be tolerated.”
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28d ago / 8:56 PM EST
Suspect was legally licensed to own a gun
Dennis Romero and Rudy Chinchilla
The 50-year-old suspect killed by authorities at the scene of the attack had the legal right to possess a firearm, police said at today’s news conference in New South Wales.
“He met the eligibility criteria for a firearm’s license,” New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said. “So the firearms license was to be for a recreational hunting license. There are two types of hunting license: the ability to hunt on a property or also as part of a hunting club — so a gun club. He was a member of a gun club and was entitled by nature of the firearms act to have a firearms license issued.”
The suspect had held a firearms license since 2015, the commissioner said. The type of license the man had also allowed him to own the “long arms that he had” as registered guns, Lanyon added.
Suspect in Bondi Beach attack was legally licensed to own a gun
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28d ago / 5:30 PM EST
Bondi Beach is one of Australia’s most famous landmarks
Bondi Beach is one of Australia’s best-known sites, known worldwide for its golden sand, strong surf and vibrant culture.
Located about 4 miles east of Sydney’s city center, it is popular with surfers and tourists and often draws large crowds, especially during the summer, when it can attract up to 50,000 visitors a day.
The site features a promenade, playgrounds, an outdoor gym, a multipurpose venue, wading pools and numerous food and drink options.
An event to mark the first day of Hanukkah was taking place at Bondi Beach when the shooting took place, killing at least 15 people ages 10 to 87. Officials declared the shooting a terrorist event and said it was “designed to target” Jewish people.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described Bondi Beach as a place “associated with joy, associated with families gathering, associated with celebrations.”
“It is forever tarnished by what has occurred,” he said this morning.
