Thruway Bus Stabber Gets Prison Sentence

GOSHEN, NY — The Albany man who stabbed someone on a commercial bus traveling to New York City will be going to prison.

Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler announced Wednesday that Maleek Phillips, 38, of Albany, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years post-release supervision in connection with a knife attack on a commercial bus.

Phillips pleaded guilty Jan. 3 in Orange County Court to first-degree attempted assault.

According to prosecutors, during his plea allocution, Phillips admitted he was a passenger on a commercial bus traveling from Albany to New York City Aug. 26.

When the bus was going through the town of Newburgh on Interstate 87, he began threatening passengers.

After arguing with the victim of his crimes, Phillips pulled out a knife and cut the victim on the neck and chest, causing a collapsed lung.

Phillips then fled from the bus and cut his own throat before he was located nearby by police with the knife still in his hand.

Hoovler said nothing justified this unwarranted attack on a completely innocent person, no matter what issued Phillips had.

“No one expects a peaceful bus trip to turn into the violent nightmare this defendant created,” he said. “Miraculously, the victim in this case survived the serious injuries caused by the defendant.

“Violence like this will not be tolerated and my office will continue to dedicate all available resources to holding violent offenders accountable for their actions,” Hoovler said.