Woman charged with bias crime in alleged bus employee attack

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A woman has been charged with bias crimes after allegedly spitting on and punching a TriMet transit employee in Portland, Oregon.

According to the Multnomah County District Attorney, Nicole Hileman is accused of starting an argument Wednesday on a MAX light rail train, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

Hileman allegedly hurled racist slurs at a man on the train and threatened to punch him. A TriMet safety supervisor asked Hileman to exit the train and instead she stood up, spit on and punched the supervisor in the head, court documents allege.

Hileman insinuated the supervisor took the man’s side because they were the same race, court documents allege.

The TriMet employee was later diagnosed with a concussion, according to Portland police.

After Hileman’s arrest, she allegedly referred repeatedly to the TriMet supervisor as “it” and asked what her gender was. Hileman denied to police that she used any racist or homophobic slurs and said she felt threatened, according to a probable cause affidavit for her arrest.

Hileman was indicted in court Thursday on five charges: first-degree bias crime, fourth-degree assault and three counts of interfering with public transport.

Hileman was released from jail and ordered to come back to court Dec. 2. It wasn’t immediately know if she has a lawyer to comment on her behalf.