11 people hit with bear spray on bus, at store and at rec centre: Winnipeg police

Two teenagers have been charged after they allegedly discharged bear spray in three locations in Winnipeg on Sunday, including a city bus.

According to police, officers were called to Sargent Avenue and Empress Street for reports that bear spray was discharged on the bus. When they arrived, they found seven people were sprayed. The victims ranged in age from 12 to 60 years old, and included the bus driver.

Police allege the suspects ran from the bus and attended a store in the 1000 block of Empress Street and allegedly sprayed three more people before fleeing the scene. The three people sprayed ranged in age from 16 to 52 years old.

Officers were then called to a rec centre in the 400 block of Langside Street, where a staff member was sprayed with bear spray and another person was slapped in the face. Police saw two teenagers outside of the building holding bear spray cans when they arrived. The teens ran, but were caught by police.

Officers said they seized four cans of bear spray from the teens.

They allege all 11 people hit with bear spray were not known to the suspects and no motive has been identified.

A 16-year-old male and a 15-year-old male were each charged with 11 counts of assault with a weapon and two counts of possession of a weapon. The 16-year-old was also charged with assaulting a peace officer and identity fraud to avoid arrest or obstruct justice.

The pair were detained in custody and charges have not been proven in court.

SAFETY FOR TRANSIT DRIVERS AND RIDERS

Janice Lukes, the chair of Winnipeg’s Standing Policy Committee on Public Works, says a recently announced $5 million boost will go towards transit safety – specifically a new transit safety team.

“We have to make sure it’s sustainable,” Lukes said. “Look at many, many factors in the transit safety teams. That process is underway but it can’t come soon enough.”

The team could include either uniformed or non-uniformed workers. Lukes says Mayor Scott Gillingham is expecting the team to be in place by the end of the year.

She says this will not address the root causes of incidents on buses, but has heard from people that they would like to see a safety presence on buses.

“We know that there are bigger issues at play and that a safety team isn’t solving all the problems,” she said.

Lukes says the issue of safety on buses is not unique to Winnipeg, but it does need to be addressed.

The number of incidents has risen on Winnipeg buses.

“Incidents may mean spitting on someone, may mean thrown coffee, doesn’t mean they’re coming at them with a machete or a knife,” Lukes said.

Data from the City of Winnipeg shows there were 61 assaults against uniformed operators in 2021. In 2022 that number was nearly doubled with 102 assaults.

The Winnipeg Police Service says it does not have a readily available way to track transit-related incidents, saying calls are placed for specific locations, and a report could be later made at a different location, such as a home.

Chris Scott, the president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, says buses moving through downtown, such as Routes 16, 18, and 20, have a higher amount of incidents.

“A single operator can expect to experience a situation that could potentially escalate at least every day,” said Scott.

Six years ago on Feb. 14, Irvine Fraser – a Winnipeg transit operator, was stabbed to death on the bus.

“A lot of my members feel the conditions have degraded from that.”

He says they are working with crime stoppers to make it easier to report incidents on buses.

Kyle Owens, president of the advocacy group Functional Transit Winnipeg, says unreliable bus schedules, poorly maintained stops, and slow service have driven potential bus riders away.

That impacts safety for those who do take the bus.

‘’So many people don’t feel safe using the transit system,” Owens said. “I think the first thing I would do to increase safety on transit is to put more buses on the road. Frequency with more buses coming.”