Passenger attacked rail conductor who asked him to put on mask: police

A Massachusetts man was arrested on Wednesday after police say he attacked a rail conductor who asked him to put on a mask.

Daniel Libby, 40, was boarding a train at the Braintree MBTA Commuter Rail Station when a conductor asked him to put on a mask, at which time “Libby responded with several expletives and refused to place a mask on. It was then alleged Libby shoved the victim and used his shoulder to force his way into the train,” according to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority.

After refusing to comply with police officers who arrived on the scene, Libby was arrested on a charge of assault and battery on a public official.

Wearing a mask on public transportation has been the cause of multiple incidents over the last year, especially on airplanes.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported 4,385 instances of unruly passengers over the past year, with over 70 percent of the complaints involving passengers who refused to comply with the federal mask mandate.