Winnipeg police continue to look for a suspect who assaulted a Winnipeg Transit driver in September and released a video Tuesday of the vicious attack.
Police previously released surveillance images of a suspect in the Sept. 14 attack.
Around 12:30 p.m. that day, the suspect boarded a bus on William Avenue when it stopped near Isabel Street.
The suspect refused to pay the fare and demanded a transfer from the driver.
When the driver refused, the suspect repeatedly assaulted the driver, said police.
Two other men got on board and tried to intervene. The suspect then also assaulted one of the men.
The president of the transit union said the video of the attack on the driver is hard to watch, but he’s glad the public has the chance to view it and hopes it will help tackle a growing problem.
“We have had an increase of assaults from what we had 20 to 25 years ago,” said Jim Girden, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union.
Transit buses have had cameras since 2009, but the transit union said the number of assaults hasn’t dropped.
So far, 25 attacks have been reported this year.
Girden said it’s possibly because few people typically get to see the video.
“If they’re trying to find somebody, I think pictures and videos should be released to the public,” said Lenny McKay, a transit rider.
The union believes having police release videos and images more often will make the difference in catching and deterring crime.
“The message needs to be given to you. We will try to find you and hopefully these videos will help us do that,” said Girden.
Anyone with information on the incident can call investigators at 204-986-6668 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.
