Man jailed in bus disturbance

A Markleeville, Calif., man was jailed Tuesday morning after allegedly flashing a knife following an argument on a public transit bus bound for Carson City.

Merle Buffalo, 45, was booked into the Washoe County Jail on suspicion felony assault with a deadly weapon and simple battery.

According to Washoe County Sheriff's Deputy Armando Avina, Buffalo was on a southbound Reno RTC bus near the Bellevue Bridge in Washoe Valley, when a dispute broke out between him and another male passenger just after 6 a.m.

"It was a verbal confrontation that turned physical by (Buffalo) putting his hands on another passenger. He did pull out the knife and pretty much brandish it and verbally threatened him. Another passenger was the one that informed the bus driver, and bus driver yielded to the right and stopped the bus and in the process called 911," said Avina. "I think the bus driver acted bravely by stopping before there was a potential for further injury and bodily harm."

Eleven passengers were on the bus. No one was hurt.

Avina said another bus arrived to continue the southbound route, and officers were able to recover surveillance footage from the bus to aid in the investigation.

He said it was not immediately clear what Buffalo and the other man were arguing about.

Buffalo's bail was set at $2,140.