Madman who shoved commuter into path of train says SORRY at sentencing and reveals why he did it
A Portland man who shoved a commuter onto train tracks about two years ago apologized in court on Thursday and blamed his actions on drug addiction.
Michael Moreland, 33, was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison for pushing Patrick Kirby onto the tracks of Portland’s MAX Light Rail as a train approached on May 21, 2024. His full sentence was 75 months, but he was given credit for time served in jail.
In Multnomah County Circuit Court, he pleaded guilty to first-degree attempted assault, third-degree robbery and unlawful use of a weapon. The presiding judge, Christopher Marshall, clarified that the weapon was the incoming train.
Moreland received the robbery charge because after pushing Kirby onto the tracks, he walked to another block and robbed several people, punching one of them in the face.
Kirby survived the terrifying crime thanks to the quick actions of the train’s operator, William Chastain.
The conductor told investigators he saw Moreland running near the tracks, so he had slowed down. As soon as he saw Moreland push the commuter, Chastain pressed the emergency stop button and the train halted just a foot or two away from Kirby.
Moreland, who claims to have no memory of the crimes he committed, said in court on Thursday: ‘Those actions were completely unwarranted, undeserved and extremely frightening. And that’s something that I’m truly sorry for.
‘I have struggled with addiction in my life, but I still hold myself 100% accountable for my actions.’
Michael Moreland, 33, was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison on Thursday for pushing a commuter onto train tracks in Portland. He is pictured in court next to his attorney
Moreland’s victim was Patrick Kirby, who said he was pushed randomly and did not know Moreland at all. He is pictured getting interviewed shortly after the crime
Moreland pushed Kirby onto the tracks of Portland’s MAX Light Rail on May 21, 2024. The conductor managed to stop the train just a foot or two away from Kirby
He pledged to stay sober and added: ‘My addiction robbed me of my sanity. I promise to never let that happen again.’
Moreland’s attorney, Stephen Houze, also said that his client’s actions were caused by his addiction.
Shortly after the frightening close call in 2024, FOX 12 interviewed the victim and the quick-thinking train conductor.
Kirby told the outlet: ‘Out of nowhere, someone I’ve never had any contact with or anything, pushes me from behind right in front of the moving train. Honestly, it was startling. I didn’t have a lot of emotion or thought at all when it happened.’
Chastain told the outlet: ‘All of a sudden, he ran toward the tracks and shoved a guy right into the tracks in front of me. At first, I wasn’t all that shaken, and then after a few minutes, it kind of hit me what all had happened.’
Moreland originally pleaded not guilty to initial charges, but as part of his plea deal, the state dropped several counts.
He was not sentenced as a violent offender, and Judge Marshall deemed Moreland eligible for a ‘very coveted,’ nine-month drug-and-alcohol counseling program that could reduce his sentence by 20 percent, or about a year and two months, if completed.
‘This is a program that is specifically designed to deal with inmates who have had such severe addiction problems,’ Houze told FOX 12.
The train’s operator, William Chastain, said he saw Moreland running by the tracks and had slowed the train before Kirby was pushed, which allowed him to stop it in time
Judge Christopher Marshall did not sentence Moreland as a violent offender and said the convict would be eligible for an addiction counseling program that could reduce his sentence
‘This is the golden opportunity… to become a person who is sober, who can contribute in the community, who will be a good father, a good son. It’s a remarkable turnaround.’
The prosecutor objected to Moreland’s eligibility for the program, but Marshall noted that not many people apologize at their sentencing hearing and said he believed the convict had a support system from his family that would make recovery possible.
At the hearing, the man who was punched in the face, Cruz Morey, also spoke and said he was happy to hear Moreland take responsibility.
