A VPD officer was assaulted Thursday evening while attempting to remove a man performing an indecent act from a bus.

In a news release Friday, police said they responded to a call for assistance on a 99 bus near Broadway and Heather Street just after 6 p.m, where a male passenger was reportedly masturbating in his seat.

When confronted by police and TransLink security officers, the passenger refused to leave the bus and became aggressive, VPD said.

In the confrontation that followed, the individual hit a police officer in the face and then attempted to grab his gun. He was unsuccessful, but did manage to briefly seize the officer’s baton.

Footage of the violent scene was caught on video. During the scuffle, someone can be heard shouting “get off my weapon,” though it is unclear who that is.

The man was arrested for assaulting and disarming a police officer and taken to jail.

“Our officers put themselves at risk every day for the safety of the public,” said Vancouver Const. Tania Visintin. “This incident is an example of the bravery our members display daily.”

The VPD officer was not hurt, and was at work on Friday.

hmooney@postmedia.com