Toronto police say a man has been charged after an altercation involving TTC constables that was captured on video.
The video was posted on Twitter by user @CascadingDesign, who said the incident occurred around 7:30 a.m. Friday on the 501 Queen Street streetcar.
The 12-second video starts in what looks like the middle of the altercation, with a TTC constable appearing to throw multiple punches at the passenger.
Another constable then appears to use pepper spray while yelling, “Get down!”
The video ends after a third constable comes in and blocks the person filming.
On Friday, the TTC issued a statement saying the incident occurred during a “routine fare inspection.”
“The altercation involving two TTC Special Constables took place after they were approached by several customers on board the vehicle who had concerns,” the statement continued.
Police said the man who was allegedly involved in the altercation with the constables was arrested after the incident and has since been charged.
Steven Thackaberry, 34, has been charged with two counts each of assaulting a peace officer and uttering threats, officials said.
The video initially prompted calls from several Toronto city councillors for the conduct of the constables to be investigated.
“This is not how the TTC should be treating riders,” Coun. Kristyn Wong-Tam said on Twitter.
Toronto Mayor John Tory also commented on the video Sunday and said what led up to the fight remains unclear.
“It was a part of a larger tape, one assumes, or a part of a series of tapes that may be around,” he said.
“No incident on the TTC in an ideal world should end in any kind of violence or anything even close to that. However, we haven’t seen everything and I think we need to see everything. That’s why I’m very heartened that the first reaction of Rick Leary, the CEO of the TTC, was to refer this out to the Toronto police — outside of the TTC for a full investigation, which is now underway.”
– With files from Jessica Patton
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