Spitting, yelling, throwing syringes: Two arrested in Winnipeg Transit assault – Winnipeg

Winnipeg police were called Thursday into two separate cases involving two allegedly unruly bus passengers.

Officers first received a report of an assault on a Winnipeg Transit driver around 5:45 p.m. in downtown Araa.

Investigators say the man who boarded the bus without paying was asked to get off at a stop near Vaughan Street and Portage Avenue. Police said the suspect became belligerent and spat on the driver as he exited the bus.

Police say the same suspect spat on another transit driver earlier in the day. They allege he began yelling and cursing while on a bus that was forced to stop near Notre Dame Avenue and Sherwin Road around 2:45 p.m.

In that incident, police say the man ripped the windshield wiper off the traffic supervisor’s car after he got off the bus.

A suspect has been arrested after a second incident at a downtown bus stop.

Police say the suspect was taken to a hospital for a preventive medical evaluation and claims he threatened to kill one of his previous victims.

A 52-year-old man has been charged with two counts of assault, mischief for less than $5,000, and threatening to cause death or bodily harm.

Supervisor Assaulted: Police

Later, at approximately 8:25 p.m., police responded to reports that an intoxicated woman disturbed a bus parked near Main Street and Pioneer Avenue.

They say a woman found with “erratic behavior” has been detained.

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Investigators say she was also involved in an earlier traffic-related incident earlier in the day.

Police say the same woman caused a disturbance on a bus that was forced to stop at the Garden City terminal around 3:15 pm.

Investigators say the woman was upset when a traffic supervisor was called in and threw many objects at him, including personal belongings and unused syringes.

They say she threw her backpack and carrying case at the supervisor and punched her twice in the face before fleeing the area.

The supervisor was not seriously injured.

A 35-year-old woman has been charged with assault with a weapon.

Increase pass attack

The union representing Winnipeg Transit employees said an increase in bus assaults this year has led to a shortage of drivers.

Earlier this month, Romeo Ignacio, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, said the city had lost 150 drivers this year, in part because of the recent rise in riots.

In 2020, 90 assaults against transit drivers were reported, compared to 92 in 2021.

When Ignacio told Global News on Nov. 9, there were already 107 reported assaults on drivers in Winnipeg this year.

“We lost a lot of people to early retirement because we couldn’t take risks anymore,” Ignacio said at the time.

“We’ve lost a lot of people, especially new people, through their resignations. You know, when they start driving after training, you see and hear all of this. And, you know, a lot of them, Say, “This is not what we signed up for.” “

— with file by Amy Ellen Prentice

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