Prosecutors: Chicago CTA Rider Filmed Himself Fatally Stabbing Sleeping Passenger
Chicago prosecutors say 40-year-old Demetrius Thurman has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly recording himself fatally stabbing 37-year-old Dominique Pollion, who was asleep on a CTA Blue Line train early Saturday. Court records indicate Pollion had been sleeping in the car for nearly an hour and had no interaction with Thurman before the suspect allegedly approached from behind at about 2:17 a.m., began recording on his phone, and stabbed him twice with a knife, prompting the victim to wake screaming and collapse after trying to flee. Investigators say CTA surveillance cameras and Thurman’s own phone captured the attack and its aftermath, including video of Thurman’s face and a clip where he allegedly turned the camera on himself at Clark/Lake station and said, “somebody got his ass,” before leaving. Police used images from transit video with Illinois’ facial-recognition system, a prior police encounter days earlier, and a relative’s identification to track him down; when arrested Sunday, he was allegedly wearing the same clothes and carrying a phone with the stabbing video and photos of other sleeping passengers. Prosecutors say Thurman has a prior record including disorderly conduct and DUI, and the case comes as violent incidents on Chicago trains are already drawing federal scrutiny after a separate November attack in which a woman was set on fire on a CTA train.
📌 Key Facts
- Suspect identified as 40-year-old Demetrius Thurman; victim as 37-year-old Dominique Pollion
- Attack occurred around 2:17 a.m. Saturday on a CTA Blue Line train; Pollion was stabbed once in the chest near his heart and once in the abdomen while asleep
- Authorities say both CTA surveillance video and Thurman’s cellphone recordings captured the stabbing and his face, and that he allegedly remarked on camera at Clark/Lake station that “somebody got his ass”
- Illinois facial-recognition program, a prior police encounter on a Blue Line train, and a cousin’s ID were used to identify Thurman, who was arrested Sunday wearing the same clothes and allegedly admitted to the stabbing
- Thurman’s phone allegedly contained images of other sleeping passengers, and prosecutors note his prior arrests for disorderly conduct, DUI and a 2023 traffic case; his next court date is Jan. 20
📊 Relevant Data
In 2025, the homicide victimization rate in Chicago was 62.5 per 100,000 for Black residents, compared to 24.2 for Latino residents, 8.0 for White residents, and 1.8 for other races.
2025 End-of-Year Analysis: Chicago Crime Trends — University of Chicago Crime Lab
Chicago's population in 2023 was approximately 39.05% White, 28.42% Black, 12.39% from other races, and 7.13% Asian, providing base rates for understanding overrepresentation in crime statistics.
Chicago city, Illinois Population 2026 — World Population Review
Nationally in the US, most homicides are intra-racial; for example, in 2019, 88.7% of Black victims were killed by Black offenders, and 80.9% of White victims by White offenders.
Violent crime on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) decreased by about 5% in 2025 compared to previous years, though it remains higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Violent crime still rare on CTA despite troubling 2025 cases — Chicago Tribune
In 2023, there were 8,842 White murder offenders and 6,405 Black murder offenders in the US, against population percentages of approximately 60% White and 13% Black, indicating higher per capita rates for Black offenders.
Number of murder offenders 2023, by race — Statista
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time