Warning: Story contains graphic language

Jeremy Joseph Christian, the 35-year-old arrested in the killing of two men and wounding of another aboard a TriMet MAX train, continued his rants as he was arraigned Tuesday, yelling "Free speech or die, Portland!'' as he entered the courtroom.

Christian stood flanked by two Multnomah County sheriff's deputies as he looked out at the standing-room-only crowd where attack survivor Micah Fletcher sat in the first row between police investigators and more deputies.

"Get out if you don't like free speech!'' Christian shouted, adding a short time later: "Death to the enemies of America!" and "You call it terrorism. I call it patriotism.''

Christian made the brief appearance on nine charges -- two counts of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, first-degree assault, two counts of intimidation and three counts of unlawful use of a weapon.

He's accused of pulling a knife and striking three men in the neck who came to the aid of two girls who were the target of his racist vitriol aboard a MAX train as it pulled into the Hollywood transit station, according to police and witnesses. Police said the knife's blade was 3-3/4 inches long.

As Christian continued his outbursts in court, a crowd that had gathered outside in the hallway erupted with their own shouts: "Bigot!" and "murderer!" The courtroom was locked down and people weren't allowed to leave right away. Fletcher remained seated beside his father, looking down at the floor. His father rested his hand on Fletcher's knee during the brief hearing.

A two-page probable cause affidavit filed by prosecutors after the hearing laid out the most complete account so far of what happened last Friday afternoon on the train.

Christian began harassing two teenage girls on the Green Line train when he boarded. One was wearing a hijab, a traditional Muslim headdress.

Christian yelled, according to the affidavit: "Get the fuck out,'' "Pay taxes," "Go home, we need American here!'' "I don't care if you are ISIS,'' "Fuck Saudi Arabia!'' and "Free speech or die!'' He was taking swigs of sangria from a container in between his rants, the affidavit said.

A man described only as "Mr. Forde'' tried to verbally calm Christian down but he kept up his shouting, the court papers said. The two girls, ages 16 and 17, were alarmed and moved away from Christian.

TriMet video and cellphone video taken by passengers showed Christian then make a sudden move in the direction of Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche, 23, who stood up in response, according to police. Christian then pressed his face close to Namkai-Meche and shouted, "Oh, do something bitch!''

Fletcher, 21, then stood. Christian shoved him in the chest and also pulled a knife that he had concealed in his right hand, the affidavit said. Fletcher shoved Christian back, according to video reviewed by police.

"Hit me again,'' Christian responded, as Fletcher told him to get off the train.

Christian suddenly swung the knife in one motion and stabbed Fletcher in the left side of his neck.

Christian immediately turned to Namkai-Meche and stabbed him. When a third passenger, Rick Best, 53, tried to intervene, Christian stabbed him in the right side of his neck, according to the affidavit. Christian shoved Best into Namkai-Meche, who was seated, and stabbed them both again, the affidavit said.

Christian is captured on video leaving the train, and threatening others on the Hollywood transit station platform with his knife visible. He picked up a bag dropped by one of the teenage girls he'd been harassing and flung it onto the nearby freeway, according to the affidavit. When confronted nearby by police, Christian threw his knife at a police car, which struck the top and fell to the ground, the affidavit said.

"I just stabbed a bunch of motherfuckers in the neck,'' Christian told police from the back of a patrol car after he was taken into custody. "Just a punk ass bunch of motherfuckers. Get stabbed in the neck if you hate free speech ... I can die in prison a happy man ... I stabbed the two motherfuckers in the neck and I'm happy now. I'm happy now. I can rest easy.''

While still in the back seat, Christian said he hoped his victims died.

"I hope they all die. I'm gonna say that on the stand. I'm a patriot, and I hope everyone I stabbed died,'' he said, according to the affidavit.

Autopsies showed that Namkai-Meche and Best suffered multiple stab wounds.

Namkai-Meche suffered a wound to his left rear scalp, a cut to his left forehead and a large stab wound to the left side of his neck that was fatal. Best was stabbed in the right side of his neck near the back of his skull, in his left cheek and on the left side of his neck. Both his neck wounds were fatal. Best also suffered a vertebrae fracture.

Best was pronounced dead on the train. Namkai-Meche died at a local hospital.

In the courtroom, deputies led Fletcher out through a locked door that defendants usually use.

The college student, slashed from the left side under his chin to just under his ear, was released from the hospital Monday.

The folding-type knife seized from Christian looked "to swing into position by centrifugal force/forceful action,'' Detective Michele Michaels wrote in court documents.

A witness also told investigators that Christian threatened to decapitate people, the documents said.

Michaels said she talked to the two girls, an Arab American and and African American, who felt threatened by Christian.

Christian ran from the train after the stabbing, police said. Several passengers pursued him and flagged down a Portland officer. He was arrested on an access road just north of Providence Portland Medical Center at 4:48 p.m. Friday, police said.

Federal authorities are continuing to consult with Portland police and the District Attorney's Office on whether to pursue federal hate crime or civil rights charges against Christian.

In a jail interview after his arrest, Christian told a release assistance officer that he was transient and couldn't recall when he last had a permanent address. His parents live in North Portland.

When asked about his mental health, Christian said he was concerned about free speech rights in Portland.

"If you don't like free speech get the fuck out of my country,'' he said, according to court papers.

Christian is being held in an isolation cell at the downtown Portland jail. His next court date is June 7. Court-appointed attorney Gregory B. Scholl represented him during the arraignment.

Three prosecutors Jeffrey Howes, Christopher Ramras and Ryan Lufkin have been assigned the case.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonian