Winnipeg bus drivers spat on, supervisor assaulted in separate assaults: police
Winnipeg police say two people have been arrested after they allegedly assaulted bus drivers on city buses in multiple incidents on Thursday.
The first incident occurred at approximately 2:45 p.m. and involved a male passenger who was yelling and swearing while riding a bus. The driver stopped the bus at Notre Dame Avenue and Sherwin Road and tried to calm the passenger down, but was not successful. The driver asked for help from a supervisor and asked the passenger to leave, but the man allegedly spat on the driver before leaving the bus and ripping the windshield wiper off of the supervisor’s vehicle.
Police said the same man boarded a bus without paying at approximately 5:45 p.m. and was acting belligerent. Drivers asked the man to exit the bus at Portage Avenue and Vaughn Street, with the man spitting on the driver as he was leaving. He was arrested at a nearby bus shelter and taken to hospital for a medical assessment. The man allegedly threatened to kill one of the previous victims on the bus while at the hospital, police said.
A 52-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with two counts of assault, and one count each of uttering threats and mischief under $5,000. He remains in custody.
MAIN STREET DISTURBANCE
Police also responded to another incident in the area of Main Street and Pioneer Avenue at 8:25 p.m. According to police, they received a report of an intoxicated person causing a disturbance on the bus.
Officers saw a woman acting erratically on the bus and she was arrested. Police said it is alleged the woman was involved in another incident on a transit bus at approximately 3:15 p.m. that day.
Police allege the woman was causing a disturbance on the bus, forcing the driver to stop at the Garden City terminal and ask for help from a transit supervisor.
When the supervisor arrived on the bus to check on the woman’s well-being, police say she became agitated and threw numerous objects at him, including her personal belongings, unused syringes, a backpack and a carrying case, hitting the supervisor in the face twice.
The woman ran from the scene. The supervisor did not need medical attention.
A 35-year-old woman is facing charges of assault with a weapon and was released on an undertaking.
The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1505 is calling on the City of Winnipeg to work on improving safety on city buses, calling for a transit security force, extended shields and updated radio transmission.
“These assaults have long-lasting negative impacts on the mental health of our members and our passengers who must witness and endure such events,” said Romeo Ignacio, president of ATU Local 1505, in a statement. “Transit workers deserve a safe work environment, and our passengers deserve safe transportation.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.