Intercity Transit bus driver assaulted after asking passenger to "pull his pants up"

Responding to a report that an Intercity Transit driver had been assaulted by a rider, two Olympia Police Officers were assaulted, including one being allegedly bitten, all amid claims by the suspect that the bus drivers, passengers and officers were guilty of racist behavior.

The suspect, Elijah Zion Amir St. Clair, 20, was arrested for aggravated assault after he allegedly attacked Intercity Transit driver Jason Gilpin, who had requested that St. Clair pull up his pants, according to the Olympia Police Department report.

According to the police report, Gilpin had been waiting for passengers at The Capital Mall’s bus landing next to the JC Penney story on April 8 when an elderly female passenger approached Gilpin, complaining about St. Clair’s pants hanging down, exposing his boxer shorts. Gilpin asked St. Clair to pull up his pants, then contacted his IT supervisor about the situation, and was told by the supervisor that St. Clair would either have to pull up his pants or exit the bus. Gilpin said that St. Clair removed his cell phone and began filming, became disorderly and called passengers and Gilpin, racist.

St. Clair was accompanied by an unknown female who yelled at Gilpin, declaring that St. Clair didn’t have to pull his pants up, according passengers mentioned in the police report.

Olympia Police Officer Bryan Henry filed the arrest report, stating that he saw no injury to Gilpin. The police secured a copy of the bus security video which showed the incident.

Another IT passenger witnessed the interaction, and told Olympia PD that when an elderly lady had an issue with St. Clair wearing his pants down around his legs exposing boxer shorts. Lovett said St. Clair was verbally abusive to the lady calling her a racist.

Lovett said it looked like St. Clair was going to exit the bus, but he suddenly turned and hit Gilpin on the side of the head with his back pack.

Olympia PD caught up with St. Clair. Gilpin was driven to identify St. Clair, which he did, stating “that’s him. I’m 100% sure.” Olympia PD did not interact, but noticed, a nearby female fitting the description of St. Clair’s companion, sitting in a bus shelter.

When Olympia Police Officer Edward Tomsik attempted to place St. Clair into custody, St. Clair resisted arrest, fought with Tomsik, as well as Officers Clark and Edwards. St. Clair allegedly bit Tomsik during the struggle, assaulting him, before being taken into custody.

St. Clair was advised of his rights, but voluntarily stated that he was at the mall’s theater with his girlfriend and came out to the bus stop. St. Clair refused to answer any of Officer Henry’s questions, stating that he didn’t assault anybody, that he was being profiled, and demanded that Henry describe the assault suspect to St. Clair.

Henry stated that after viewing the bus video of the incident, that it “appears to be” St. Clair and the female passenger in the video. Henry stated in his report that St. Clair and the female passenger had changed clothing between the incident on the bus and their final location at the bus stop shelter.

Officer Edwards stated that he had sustained several abrasions on both of his hands/wrists as a result of securing St. Clair’s legs.