Toronto police investigating two separate incidents on TTC in east end

Police attend the scene of a collision in the west end of Toronto on Thurs., March 31, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

Toronto police said a man was assaulted by a group of young onboard a bus on Friday afternoon.

The incident happened shortly before 5:45 p.m., on board a TTC bus in the area of Cosburn and Pape avenues.

Paramedics rushed the victim to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

Police said the suspects fled the scene, and no other details were provided about them.

A few minutes before, at 5:40 p.m. at Pape Subway station, police said they received reports of a man assaulted by a group of young people.

When officers arrived, they found the victim, and were told that he had been robbed.

No injuries were reported, and the suspects fled the scene.

"At this point in time, we are treating these as separate incidents," Const. Alex Li told CTV News Toronto. "We are appealing for witnesses to come forward, and it is still an active & ongoing investigation."

This happens the day after Toronto police said they would start boosting their presence across the city’s transit system, by deploying 80 more officers daily along the TTC network.

“In recent weeks, we have been actively increasing our high-visibility patrols within the transit system. However, it is clear that more can be done to enhance the safety and security of transit users,” Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said during a news conference Thursday.

The decision comes following a rash of violence on TTC property, including a woman who was stabbed by a stranger on a streetcar and left with life-altering injuries, a 16-year-old boy who was stabbed on a bus, and a TTC operator who was shot with a BB gun. 

- With files from CTV News Toronto's Phil Tsekouras