Two charged after child and father assaulted on bus: Winnipeg police

Two people have been charged after they allegedly assaulted a father and his 10-year-old son on a Winnipeg Transit bus Thursday night.

According to the Winnipeg Police Service, a man and woman, who were not known to the two victims, randomly began shouting obscenities at the victims. The assault then escalated, with both the father and son getting punched in the head numerous times.

The two suspects ran from the bus, but one of the suspects allegedly returned and slapped the father in the face before finally leaving the bus.

The bus was stopped in the 500 block of Main Street. Police met with witnesses and the victims, who were taken to hospital in stable condition.

The two accused were standing nearby, police said, and taken into custody.

A 31-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, both from Winnipeg, were both charged with assault. They were detained in custody.

TRANSIT UNION WORRIED ABOUT VIOLENCE

 The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505 (ATU), the union representing bus drivers in Winnipeg, says 2023 is off to a “grim start” when it comes to violence on buses.

 “So far in 2023 we have received around eight reports of assaults against Transit workers,” said Chris Scott, ATU 1505 president, in a prepared statement. “There could be more. We are not notified of assaults that do not directly involve a Transit worker, or passenger-to-passenger violence.”

 The ATU wants all levels of government to join together to come up with a solution to the issue.

 A spokesperson with the City of Winnipeg said in a prepared statement, “Winnipeg Transit is committed to providing a safe transit service in Winnipeg, and a safe work environment for all our employees.”

 The spokesperson shared several initiatives that have already been provided to Winnipeg Transit through the Transit Advisory Committee, including safety shields and new emergency signals for drivers.