

Chris Fox, CP24.com





Police have released surveillance camera footage of a suspect who allegedly threw a cup of coffee at the driver of a TTC bus last month.

Police say the suspect boarded the Dufferin North 105 bus at Dufferin Street and Dufferin Hill Drive in Vaughan on the morning of June 8.

As the suspect was boarding the bus, police say the driver recognized him as someone who had been verbally abusive toward him and stolen a transfer slip one month prior.

The driver then told the suspect to leave, however police say he instead walked to the back of the bus.

At that point, the driver refused to leave until the man vacated the bus.

Police allege that the man then walked to the front of the bus and assaulted the driver by emptying a silver thermal travel mug filled with coffee onto the driver. The driver was not injured in the incident, police say.

“It is just completely inexplicable why anyone would do something like that. It is a very, very serious assault on our operator over what amounts to a couple of dollars,” TTC Spokesperson Brad Ross told CP24 on Wednesday. “If they are prepared to do that once than they are prepared to do that twice, so we want to get them off the street.”

The suspect is described as white, about five-foot-ten with a medium build and short dark-coloured hair. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, a blue shirt, dark-coloured pants, white running shoes and sunglasses. He was also seen carrying a black and white patterned bag.

Police say they have “exhausted all leads” and are releasing the surveillance footage in the hopes that someone will recognize the suspect.