Man arrested in violent altercation on TTC streetcar in 2020 charged in another alleged incident on transit system
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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus survives vote calling for his ouster
Greg Fergus survived a vote to oust him as House of Commons Speaker on Tuesday, but with close to half of MPs expressing a loss of confidence in him, he faces a precarious path forward in maintaining order in Parliament.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
BREAKING Teen dies after being hit by train in N.W. Calgary
A teenager has died after being hit by a train in northwest Calgary on Tuesday afternoon.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
'It's his vacation too': Jimmy the baby goat joins 2-week road trip across Canada
After Jimmy the baby goat was shunned by his mother, a New Brunswick man took the kid on a two-week road trip across Canada.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there’s a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
Black bear kebabs make family sick with parasitic worms
It was supposed to be a celebration, but one family’s unique meal of black bear meat sent several members to the hospital instead.