Winnipeg Transit supervisor in stable condition after assault by 3 passengers

Three suspects are facing charges after aWinnipeg Transit supervisor was assaulted on a bus when a dispute over insufficient fare escalated into an attack.

Around 8 p.m. on Thursday, police say, a man and two male youths boarded thebus nearPortage Avenue and Colony Street, but one didn't have enough money to pay the fare. Theybecame verbally aggressive and the supervisor asked them to leave the bus.

The suspects punched the supervisor and dragged him off the bus, where he was punched and kicked some more, police said.

"You've got three males, grown, moderate size, attacking one guy. No differentthan if it was one of our officerswithoutassistance of weapons. It's a dangerouspositionto be in," said Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson Const. Rob Carver.

Police officers and cadets happened upon the scene and interrupted the attack, Carver said.

"It'svery lucky in this casepure chance that uniform officers andcadetswere right in the area as the fight was happening. We interrupted the fight by accident, effectively," Carver said.

The supervisor was taken to hospital in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.

You've got three males, grown, moderate size, attacking one guy. No differentthan if it was one of our officerswithoutassistance of weapons. It's a dangerouspositionto be in.- Const. Rob Carver

The three suspects will be charged with assault, and were released on a promise to appear.

Carver says he is hearing about more assaults occurring on Winnipeg Transit buses than in years past.

"I can tell you a number of years ago, I don'tthinkI was standing up here talking about any, essentially.And I think we're talking about them fairlyregularlynow," he said.

Security concerns on city buses have been in the spotlight in Winnipeg sinceFebruary 2017, whenTransit driver Jubal Fraserwas killed while on duty.

In January, the city announced it was hiring five former drivers to be inspectors to improve security on buses.

Union official seeks changes

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, which represents drivers, has said it wants to see amix of highly trained undercover and uniformed security staff working daily as transit police.

Local presidentAleem Chaudharysays while the city can not afford to place a police officer on every bus, the possible presence of undercover officers would serve as a strong deterrent.

Chaudhary says he has been told of other assaults on supervisors, and claims the city does not inform his union about them. Transit supervisors are members of another union, the Winnipeg Association of Public Service Officers.

A memo circulated toWinnipeg Transit employees on Friday makes reference to a separate assault on a transit supervisor on Thursday.

Carver said he was not aware of other recent incidents.

Chaudhary also says he is upset the three suspects in Thursday's assault have been released on a promise to appear.

The sole adult among them is known to police, Carver said.