Transit Police investigating bus altercation caught on camera
Posted September 24, 2018 6:48 pm.
Last Updated September 25, 2018 2:04 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
NEW WESTMINSTER (NEWS 1130) – Police are investigating an altercation that was caught on camera on a transit bus that was going from Horseshoe Bay to Vancouver Sunday night. The District of West Vancouver says the bus driver did not stop because of safety reasons.
The video shows a woman getting into a screaming match with some of the passengers and uttering threats.
Transit Police say the incident started after the woman was asked to move her belongings to free up the seat next to her.
“She refused and took some offence to being asked to move her belongings and that’s when the verbal argument started,” said Sgt. Clint Hampton with Transit Police.
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The video goes on for about three minutes. Despite several requests from passengers to pull over, the bus seems to keep moving.
“This escalated quickly and there were some racially charged comments made. There were some threats that were said, and there were other individuals on the bus arguing back and forth with this female,” Hampton added.
Multiple people can be seen filming the incident.
Some of the people on board, including the woman shown in the video contacted Transit Police following the incident.
“We have spoken with the main female involved as well as witnesses on the bus,” Hampton said.
Police are looking for the bus operator and completing a review of all footage available.
The District of West Vancouver’s Donna Power says the driver with 12 years experience didn’t feel he could pull over because the bus was making it’s way over Lions Gate bridge into Stanley Park when the confrontation got out of hand.
“He had to make a judgment call. He is concerned about the safety of the passengers on his bus. It is very much a priority for him,” she tells NEWS 1130.
She says Transit Police are in charge of determining whether charges should be recommended, though no one was hurt the fight.
“All of our buses have cameras on them now and this is also an outcome of dangerous situations in the past, so if there’s any improvements that can be made whether to the physical buses or the driver training, we’ll definitely be looking into that.”
No charges have been laid but Hampton said the investigation is still in its early stages.
-With files from Monika Gul
