Passenger Angry Over Amtrak Delay Arrested After Assault on Train Staff
Authorities say the passenger became combative and assaulted two Amtrak employees after becoming angry over a delayed train.
BELLEVUE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A DeWitt man has been charged after authorities say he assaulted employees aboard an Amtrak train in Eaton County earlier this month.
Michigan State Police said troopers from the Lansing Post responded around 10:40 p.m. March 8 to a stopped Amtrak train on railroad tracks near Sand Road in Bellevue Township after employees called 911 to report a combative passenger.
According to police, the passenger, identified in court records as Spencer Ryan Stoddard, 32, of DeWitt, appeared intoxicated and was upset about a train delay. Authorities said Stoddard began running up and down the train while yelling at passengers, causing concern among riders who feared for their safety.
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Two Amtrak employees approached Stoddard in an attempt to calm him down, but investigators say he became increasingly combative. When employees tried to isolate him from other passengers, police said Stoddard assaulted them.
Amtrak staff restrained Stoddard until troopers arrived. When law enforcement reached the train, they found Stoddard already secured with zip ties applied by Amtrak personnel. Troopers said he remained upset about the delay and the lack of a refund.
Stoddard was taken into custody and lodged at the Eaton County Jail.
The Eaton County Prosecutor’s Office authorized two felony counts of assaulting, resisting, or obstructing a police officer or first responder. The charges stem from allegations that Stoddard assaulted two Amtrak employees, identified in the complaint as Adam Williams and Nathan Hatton, who were performing duties with law enforcement authority aboard the train at the time of the incident.
Under Michigan law, the charge carries a potential penalty of up to two years in prison and a $2,000 fine.
Stoddard was arraigned in 56A District Court in Eaton County and later released on bond.
A probable cause conference in the case is scheduled for March 23, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in Charlotte.