Metro Vancouver Transit Police are investigating a viral video of a violent encounter on a Vancouver transit bus.
The video, which was originally posted to social media platform TikTok on Wednesday, shows a woman spit on a passenger, who retaliates by shoving her off the bus, sending her sprawling onto the pavement.
It’s unclear what precipitated the exchange, though the man can be heard saying “disgusting” to the woman immediately before she spits on him.
Transit police Sgt. Clint Hampton said investigators still aren’t sure when the video was recorded, but that it happened on Hastings Street near Nanaimo.
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“There’s some indications from the video itself, you see people are wearing shorts, t-shirts. We don’t know, was this back when we had better weather?” Hampton said.
Investigators have not yet been able to contact either of the parties involved in the altercation, nor have they been able to speak with the person who shot the video.
In the video, the man can be seen wearing a mask, while the woman is not wearing one.
Masks are mandatory on all modes of TransLink transit, and Hampton said police are investigating if a dispute about masks played a part in the altercation.
It wouldn’t be the first time violence has broken out on a TransLink bus over masks. In September, a fist-fight erupted on a Surrey bus over a dispute about masking up.
Hampton said passengers should never confront someone about the mask policy.
“If people see others not wearing a mask on transit, what we’d like them to do is socially distance themselves from that person. We don’t want people policing the mandatory mask policy, he said.
“We don’t want people putting themselves at risk.”
Anyone who was involved in the altercation, who witnessed it or who has information is asked to contact Metro Vancouver Transit Police.
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