An Oak Harbor man suffering from a possible mental health crisis is accused of assaulting a transit security person and spitting on a police officer on Sept. 10, according to court documents.

The case was a rare incident of violence involving an Island Transit employee. The agency reports it’s the first assault on a staff member or security employee in the last six years.

Selene Muldowney-Stratton, communications officer for the agency, said Island Transit has prioritized safety.

“We have installed cameras, provide de-escalation training to our staff, follow established protocols for dealing with hostile situations, and have a robust communications network with ICOM on speed dial to assist when necessary,” she wrote in an email.

In the recent case, the suspect, 22-year-old Collin J. Reeves, was in Island County Superior Court for a hearing on Sept. 11. He appeared to be in distress, holding his hands in front of his face and occasionally wailing.

The judge found probable cause existed to believe Reeves may have committed the crimes of two counts of assault in the third degree, malicious mischief in the third degree and indecent exposure.

Reeves’ attorney said Reeves is homeless and has been staying at The Haven, although the address she provided was for the SPiN Cafe — which is not a shelter. The prosecutor said Reeves has no significant criminal history, but he’s facing misdemeanor charges in other counties.

The judge set his bail at a $5,000 bond or $500 in cash.

In addition, the judge followed the prosecutor’s request by ordering that Reeves must be seen by a mental health professional prior to release to determine if he should be involuntarily committed to a treatment facility.

The report by an officer with the Oak Harbor Police Department reported that a security guard who works at Island Transit’s Harbor Station on Bayshore Drive saw Reeves expose himself and urinate behind a terminal shelter. The guard took Reeves’ photo as he was walking away, but then Reeves charged at him and punched him in the eye, the report states.

Officers found and detained Reeves shortly afterward. He was “very aggravated” and yelled profanities at the officers, the report states. He then spit in an officer’s face, the officer wrote.

On the way to jail, he continually kicked the Plexiglas partition in the patrol car, breaking the overhead lights and fixtures in the car, the report states.

While violence on buses hasn’t occurred in years, Island Transit has dealt with more minor incidents, “such as stolen items, verbal altercations, refusal to cooperate, occasional rider-on-rider disputes, and occasional property damage, such as damage to bus shelters or, in one instance, an employee’s car,” Muldowney-Stratton wrote.

“Many of the individuals involved in these incidents are known to local law enforcement or have been encountered by our staff before,” she added.