

Joshua Freeman, CP24.com





The TTC and Toronto police are investigating after a violent altercation between a passenger and TTC staff was caught on video.

The incident happened on-board a streetcar on the 501 Queen route, near River Street, shortly before 8 a.m. on Friday.

According to one rider who was on the streetcar and posted video of the incident to Twitter, a man who appeared to be in a poor state of mind was approached by two TTC special constables who asked to see proof of payment.

According to the rider, the man had kicked off his shoes and was yelling at random people before he was approached, but other passengers were ignoring him.

An exchange then ensued between the man and the constables that escalated and led to punches and shoving, the rider said.

In the short video posted online, the constables are seen subduing the man. One of them pins him to a streetcar seat, while the other sprays some sort of foam on him.

The video ends when a fare inspector tells the rider that he can’t be there filming anymore and ushers him off the streetcar.

The man was arrested by the special constables, who then transferred him to police.

“The man was transported to 51 Division and the investigation is ongoing by Toronto Police Service,” a police spokesperson said in an email.

In a statement, the TTC said that the incident occurred following several customer complaints.

“The incident occurred during a routine fare inspection,” the statement said. “The altercation involving two TTC Special Constables took place after they were approached by several customers on board the vehicle who had concerns. We are investigating the incident.”

TTC CEO Rick Leary said in a separate statement that he is taking the issue "very seriously."

"I have given direction to initiate an investigation by an external party," the statement said.

The TTC did not confirm which substance was sprayed.

Mayor John Tory said in a statement that the altercation was "very disconcerting."

"We correctly expect a very high standard of behaviour from our TTC employees - the vast majority of whom do an excellent job for us," the statement said. "The independent investigation will weigh these events against that standard and I will withhold further comment until such time as we have that report in hand.”

Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, who represents the area where the altercation occurred, said Friday that the handling of the man was “unacceptable” and said she would like to see a full investigation.

“The actual offence, if any, doesn't even matter anymore,” Wong-Tam said in a tweet. “This is not how the TTC should be treating riders. There needs to be a full investigation into this use of force, which is never acceptable.”

The actual offence, if any, doesn't even matter anymore. This is not how the TTC should be treating riders. There needs to be a full investigation into this use of force, which is never acceptable. https://t.co/ptZtTBK3pI — Kristyn Wong-Tam (@kristynwongtam) February 7, 2020

Councillor Mike Layton also chimed in and called for a full investigation, as well as a “rethink” of how the transit system treats riders.

No serious injuries have been reported in connection with the incident.