Passenger describes sudden stop on Amtrak before suspect's arrest

HOLDREGE, Neb. — An armed man was arrested after police say he pulled the brakes on an Amtrak train headed east near Oxford on Saturday.

Police say Taylor M. Wilson was carrying a loaded revolver in his waistband and a speed loader in his pocket this weekend.

The Amtrak train was preparing to make a stop in Holdrege when police say 25 year–old Taylor Wilson got into the second locomotive and pulled the brakes in Furnas County.

Besides a Smith and Wesson revolver, police say Wilson also had a box of ammo, a knife, tin snips, scissors and a ventilation mask. There were also three more speed loaders in his bags. One passenger says the Assistant Conductor had just awoken the cabin to tell them they were making their stop in Holdrege, when the train suddenly stopped.

"We lunged forward in our seats and all the power went out, it went completely black in the train car and the emergency lighting came on which is just at your feet and it's really sparse so we couldn't see anything and we could smell something burning and I'm going to guess that was the brakes,” said passenger Bobbie Garris.

Bobbie says she and the other passengers sat in quiet darkness for over an hour. During that time, Amtrak staff rushed past her down the cabins with the assistant conductor leading the way.

"He strapped on a backpack and the other gentlemen helped him load it with something, we couldn't see what it was and then he left the train and we couldn't tell where he went outside,” said Garris.

It is still unsure what Wilson's plan was. He was charged with use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony and for criminal mischief. Garris says Amtrak employees never explained what happened.

"I asked him what had happened earlier and he just looked at me for the longest time and he kind of like scoffed and he said that we lost air pressure and that that happens a lot,” said Garris.

Amtrak released a statement saying, "The circumstances of the incident are under active criminal investigation at this time. Amtrak is working with law enforcement in Nebraska and will continue to cooperate fully in the investigation."

Wilson's bond was set at $25,000 and a preliminary hearing will be Monday, Oct. 30 in Furnas County court.