PORTLAND -- The man suspected in a brutal attack on TriMet bus driver earlier this month has been released from jail.
Daemon Bowman allegedly punched Pamela Thompson in the head several times, then threw her cell phone when she tried to call for help.
He fled after the attack. Police found him about a mile away and arrested him.
Thompson said a dispute over Bowman's fare set him off. He was short 50 cents and she would not give him a bus ticket. He became enraged and started punching her.
During his court appearance Tuesday morning, the court agreed to release Bowman under the condition of "closed street supervision," which means he will be monitored until his February 5 trial.
The bus driver’s union was upset over the decision, questioning why someone so potentially dangerous was set free.
The attack happened in the St. Johns area on the evening of Dec. 12, as the Line 4 bus was stopped at North Richmond Avenue and North Syracuse Street.
