Watch above: Edmonton police are looking for a teenager after a violent attack at the Coliseum transit centre Friday morning. As Shallima Maharaj reports, it comes on the same day a new security control centre was unveiled by ETS.
EDMONTON – Police are on the hunt for the young man involved in a violent attack at the Coliseum Transit Centre Friday morning.
Edmonton police say two men were riding a bus together when a fight broke out. The fight continued after they got off the bus at Coliseum Transit Centre, which is where one of them was stabbed around 6:15 a.m.
“Downtown division patrol members responded to 911 call of an alleged stabbing,” said EPS spokesperson Scott Pattison.
“Upon arrival, they found a young male on the ground with stab wounds.”
The suspect – who police believe is a teenager – ran away heading northeast. They think he may have boarded the LRT.
A couple of ETS bus drivers came to the victim’s aid and performed CPR before EMS arrived.
The victim was rushed to hospital and remains in critical condition.
The incident shut down the Coliseum Transit Centre from about 6:15 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.
Bus service at 118 Avenue was running on the street, but the transit centre was closed. Officials said the LRT was also running as normal.
“I don’t like it,” said Tatiana Brown. “It’s got to be something bad if they’ve got the whole train station blocked off.”
Still, she said the area has seen its share of violence.
“That’s not really unheard-of here, to tell you the truth,” said Brown. “It happens more often than we’d like it to happen.”
Around 8:30 a.m., a forensics team arrived on scene.
At that time, a portion of the Transit Centre was reopened.
The transit centre was fully open by 11:40 a.m.
“It’s not unusual to see a little bit of commotion around here every once in a while,” said long-time area resident Brenda Piatocha.
“But, to see it completely blocked off sounds like it’s something serious.”
Piatocha has lived in the neighbourhood for 30 years.
“It’s much better than it used to be.”
Investigators are now reviewing surveillance footage and are looking for a Caucasion teenager with short dark hair, wearing a royal blue hooded sweatshirt with white text on it reading: “It’s not you, it’s me.”
Police also want to hear from passengers who were riding the bus from the Kingsway area Friday morning.
“I also want to make a plea out to the young man who’s believed to be responsible to please contact police sooner rather than later,” said Pattison. “It’s in your best interest.”
READ MORE: Edmonton police, transit officials team up to increase LRT safety
In July, Edmonton police and the Edmonton Transit System announced they were ramping up enforcement on the LRT in hopes of increasing passenger safety and security.
The trial project has four EPS officers and four ETS peace officers paired in two-person teams, patrolling the northern stretch of the LRT on a daily basis until mid-December.
(Watch: raw video of the Coliseum Transit Centre Friday morning.)
Friday was also the official opening of the Edmonton Transit System’s Control Centre, which is the operations centre for LRT, security, and bus services.
The renovated facility will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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