Four young teens charged in connection with TTC 'swarming' attack as video surfaces of incident
Four 13-year-old boys have been charged in connection with a "swarming" attack on board a TTC bus in Scarborough.
Toronto police said two of the boys are facing one count of assault, while the other two are facing two counts of assault.
The arrests come after CTV News Toronto obtained security footage from a local business that shows at least a dozen people pushing and shoving outside a TTC bus stopped near Kennedy and Merrian roads on Monday at around 3:35 p.m.
The footage was captured at the same time and place as a “despicable swarming” style assault of two TTC employees.
“There were two on-duty TTC operators that were on their way to a relief point to pick up their vehicle and go about their shift, and they were attacked by, as police have said, by a group of 10 to 15 people,” TTC spokesperson, Stuart Green, told CTV News Toronto.
While the TTC workers did not sustain life-threatening injuries, Jessica Davis, who saw what had happened, says they looked “really shocked” and that the bus driver was “very upset.”
“She was like visibly – her hands were shaking,” Davis said.
Police would not confirm if the incident captured on video was the swarming of TTC employees. However, officers collected the exact same surveillance footage as evidence for their investigation on Tuesday morning, and the time stamp on the video matches the time of the incident.
On Monday, police said they received reports of 10 to 15 youths attacking uniformed employees on the bus before fleeing the area.
Police said that there was in fact a larger group of youth on the bus but they said that investigators believe only four were directly involved in the assault.
Police, however, said that the investigation is ongoing and that officers are still appealing to anyone with information to come forward.
The four boys cannot be identified under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. They are due in court on March 21 at 2 p.m.
TTC UNION SAYS 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH'
The union representing TTC workers, ATU Local 113, calls on the City and TTC for support in advocating for their members during these repeated acts of violence.
“We have to put an end to these acts of violence and disrespect against transit workers,” Marvin Alfred, President of ATU Local 113, told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday.
In a news release posted Tuesday, the union said, “enough is enough,” underpinning the message that their members “should not have to go to work every day in fear of their lives.”
The swarming-style attack comes just a couple of days after a TTC operator was shot with a BB gun in Scarborough on Saturday night.
Alexandra Stoeckle, the 24-year-old operator, came forward and wrote an open letter to Mayor John Tory, and TTC CEO Rick Leary, calling for something to be done.
“These are not one-off incidents, these are targeted attacks. Employees and passengers alike are unsafe when riding, driving and waiting for the TTC,” Stoeckle wrote, later adding that these violent incidents should be stopped.
“There has to be change. And people need to remember we are human beings, we have families, and we are people before we are TTC employees.”
With files from CP24’s Bryann Aguilar, and CTV News Toronto’s Janice Golding and Rahim Ladhani
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Officials: 2 dead, 5 missing in chocolate factory explosion
An explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania on Friday killed two people and left five people missing, authorities said. One person was pulled from the rubble overnight.

Canadians view own country more favourably than Americans do the U.S.: survey
A recent study by the Angus Reid Institute found Canadians view their country more positively than Americans do, but only a slight majority of people in Canada believe their system of government is good.
Russia 'largely stalled' in Bakhmut, shifting focus, U.K. says
The top commander of Ukraine's military said Saturday that his forces were pushing back against Russian troops in the long and grinding battle for the town of Bakhmut, and British military intelligence says Russia appears to be moving to a defensive strategy in eastern Ukraine.
Trump rallying supporters in Waco ahead of possible charges
Staring down a possible indictment, a defiant Donald Trump is hoping to put on a show of force Saturday as he holds the first rally of his 2024 presidential campaign in a city made famous by deadly resistance against law enforcement.
'Everything is interwoven': Trudeau and Biden vow continued Canada-U.S. collaboration during historic visit
U.S President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have announced updates on a number of cross-border issues, after a day of meetings on Parliament Hill.
Asylum seeker deal between U.S. and Canada won't stop drama at border, advocates say
The new asylum seeker agreement between Canada and the United States will not deter migrants from trying to cross into Canada outside official ports of entry, Quebec immigration advocacy groups say.
Scientists say they've solved the mystery of cigar-shaped comet 'Oumuamua
Scientists now say they know outerspace object ‘Oumuamua is, and the answer is more simple than some previous theories have suggested.
From hidden gems to family favourites, here's a guide to some of Canada's national parks
This past week, Parks Canada opened up its reservation system for the 2023 season, offering places to stay, hikes to take and national historic sites to visit across the country. According to three experts, here's where to travel this summer.
Incredible photos show northern lights dancing across much of Canada
Sky-gazers and shutterbugs across much of Canada were treated to a spectacular display of northern lights Thursday night and into Friday morning.