Alleged Copley attacker a lucky man

Muhummad

MBTA Inspector Tariq Muhammad exercised great restraint when an out-of-control white guy began cursing him out and then took a swing at him at a T stop on April 1.

Muhammad did two tours with the Army in Iraq - where he served as an MP. And he's kept up with his martial arts training. But in an interview today, he said that when the man, identified as Daniel Jourdet, 52, of Lynn, punched him at the inbound Copley platform on the Green Line, he decided he'd only make things worse if he responded in kind.

"I didn't feel it would be appropriate," he said at an interview at the Government Center T stop. "It wouldn't have been useful."

Muhammad, who's worked for the MBTA for twelve years, the past two as an inspector, said the incident began when he noticed Jourdet getting loud and gesticulating on the yellow warning strip next to the trolley tracks. By itself, this was a potential hazard to trolley drivers and passengers, he said, adding he asked him twice to stop. Then, he said, "He became physical. ... He was groping women. He became verbally abusive."

Muhammad said he told him "we're going to leave the station now" and began to walk him out.

At first, he said, Jourdet agreed to leave. But then, as seen on a video taken by somebody outside the fare gates, Jourdet changed his mind - and began hurling racial slurs at Muhammad and, finally, a punch.

Muhammad said he realized quickly Jourdet was about to take a swing and he managed to maneuver himself so that while Jourdet got him in the forehead, he did not do any serious damage. Muhammad said he went back to work "immediately."

Muhammad expressed relief - and gratitude to T police - that Jourdet was arrested yesterday. "I was very happy," he said. "I'm defintely glad he's behind bars." He added he doesn't know who took the video that launched the hunt for Jourdet; he said he didn't even know somebody had captured the attack because he was too busy just trying to deal with an out-of-control guy.

Jourdet pleaded innocent in Boston Municipal Court today to a variety of charges. He was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 bail.