A mugging victim pulled a knife on his attackers while riding the Chicago subway on Friday, leading to a melee that ended with at least four people stabbed and six arrested, police said.
The violence unfolded at about 2:03 am CST as the victim, a 42-year-old man, got off his Red Line train at the North/Clybourn Station and switched to another car, authorities said.
He was followed by six offenders who "demanded his belongings" and "then began attacking and battering the victim with a knife and a broken glass bottle," the Chicago Police Department said in a statement.
The victim "also produced a knife," leading to a fight in which he "sustained several stab wounds and lacerations," police said. He was listed in serious condition at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
All six offenders were taken into custody and they included a 52-year-old man who was stabbed in the neck and listed in serious condition; a 36-year-old man who suffered lacerations to the forearm and was listed in fair condition; and a 24-year-old stabbed in the back, police said.
Red Line trains bypassed the North/Clybourn Station throughout the morning rush as police investigated, before service returned with delays at about 9 a.m.
“This kind of violence is absolutely unacceptable, and we applaud the Chicago Police Department for its quick actions to arrest the suspects,” Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval Carter said in a statement.