Man arrested in violent altercation on TTC streetcar in 2020 charged in another alleged incident on transit system

A TTC Special Constable is seen involved in a violent altercation on the 501 streetcar. (Twitter/@CascadingDesign)

The same man who was arrested in a violent altercation on a Toronto streetcar in 2020 has been charged for allegedly assaulting patrons at Spadina station while on probation last week.

The man was arrested on Wednesday morning, Toronto police confirmed to CTV News Toronto. He is facing two counts of assault with a weapon, one count of possession of a weapon, one count of mischief, and one count of breach of probation.

Police confirmed the accused is the same individual who was arrested on the 501 streetcar in February 2020 in an altercation captured on video and later circulated on social media, sparking public backlash from both resident and officials. In the weeks that followed, the man pleaded guilty to two counts of assault in relation to the incident and the Toronto Transit Commission launched an independent investigation, conducted by Rubin Thomlinson LLP, into the constables' conduct.

They were fired in 2021 at the recommendation of the workplace investigators, who found they had employed unnecessary and unauthorized force, and that they'd been influenced by discriminatory assumptions about the passengers' mental health.

Three years later, the constables are amidst ongoing arbitration to regain their positions.

In light of the charges laid Wednesday, the union representing the two special constables fired for their role in the 2020 incident is claiming the commission has prioritized public opinion over safety in the subsequent proceedings. Interim president Tom Tsomis wrote in the statement that the TTC sought to overturn the man's 2020 conviction, along with a court-imposed condition on his ridership limiting his use of the transit system.

“Four and a half years later, the TTC has chosen to spend tax dollars to defend the actions [of the accused] while turning its back on the Special Constables who were assaulted by him," Tsomis said. "The TTC constantly reiterates that 'safety is paramount in everything we do,' but their actions speak otherwise."

When reached for comment, the TTC said the decision to fire the constables was in line with recommendations outlined in the workplace investigation and that the directive to overturn the man's conviction was first outlined in a letter from the municipal ombudsman.

The accused in Wednesday's assault investigation was scheduled to appear in court on May 13. The charges laid on him have not been tested.