A man was arrested after an unprovoked assault near the Sapperton SkyTrain station.
According to Metro Vancouver Transit Police, a man was walking on the overpass toward Sapperton SkyTrain Station about 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 12 when he passed a suspect who was walking in the opposite direction. As the two men crossed paths, the suspect allegedly pushed the man to the ground and punched him in the face before boarding a train.
Transit Police report that a witness who observed the alleged assault immediately called 911 and provided aid to the victim as police rushed to scene. Soon after, a New Westminster Police Department patrol officer was driving past New Westminster SkyTrain station, spotted the suspect and made an arrest without incident.
“It's troubling because the attack is unprovoked. So in this case, there's nothing that we believe the victim could have done to prevent something like this,” said NWPD spokesperson Sgt. Sanjay Kumar in a news release. “We’d like to commend the witness who called 911 and provided aid to the victim.”
Metro Vancouver Transit Police have taken conduct of the file and are recommending one charge of assault for a 50-year-old man of no fixed address, who is known to police. The suspect was released at the scene with a court appearance scheduled for June 8.
“In order to ensure seamless policing throughout the vast transit system, Transit Police works closely with all of our jurisdictional police partners to ensure that transit passengers stay safe,” said Transit Police Const. Amanda Steed. “This incident is one example of how teamwork resulted in a quick arrest and sends a clear message that violence on transit will never be tolerated.”
Anyone who may have witnessed this incident and hasn’t yet spoken to officers is asked to call Metro Vancouver Transit Police by phone at 604-515-8300 or by text at 87-77-77.
