Winnipeg police are looking for a man who threw a chunk of concrete at a Winnipeg Transit driver’s head last month.
Police said a man boarded a bus near St. Vital Shopping Centre on May 24 at around 1 p.m. and refused to pay. He argued with the driver, before getting off the bus in the downtown area.
The driver then spotted the man again waiting at a bus stop at Ellice Avenue and Simcoe Street. While people were boarding the bus, the suspect threw a large piece of concrete at the driver, striking him in the head.
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The driver was not seriously hurt, but John Callahan, the President of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, believes drivers are starting to think that violence comes with the job.
“Reality is, having a chunk of concrete thrown at your head, it could kill you,” Callahan said.
The man fled on foot. Police described him as a black man, 20-30 years of age, approximately 5’10”, 145 lbs, with braided black hair.
The city is trying to ramp up safety on its transit buses. Late last month, several safety recommendations were made in an attempt to help protect bus drivers and riders.
In the report, Winnipeg Transit recommended a pilot project to test bus operator safety barriers. It also recommended increased safety methods be considered in the city’s 2018 budget. That includes more audio and video surveillance systems and funding for five more security positions.
The recommendations were made after transit driver, Irvine Fraser, was fatally stabbed by a passenger while he was stopped at the end of his route at the University of Manitoba on Feb. 14.
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Callahan said something needs to be done.
“It’s just non-stop the incidents. Everyday it’s something new,” he said. “I just don’t know the reasons why, it’s just beyond my comprehension sometimes the incidents that take place.”