police – Winnipeg Free Press

A passenger on a Winnipeg Transit bus was stabbed on Tuesday – just days before the seventh anniversary of the bus driver's slaying and days before security officers on board were deployed.

City police say the man, in his twenties, had to be treated by paramedics (who applied a chest seal) before being taken to hospital in critical condition. Officials say the man is in stable condition.

Police spokesman Const. Dani McKinnon said the man was stabbed on a bus at the Osborne Rapid Transit Station at 6:45 p.m. According to him, the suspect is still being sought.

“The Major Crimes Unit is working on it,” MacKinnon said, adding that racial slurs were used before the attack. “The victim is of color, so (the comments) were racially motivated … He was referred to the hate crimes unit.”

Chris Scott, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1505, which represents more than 1,400 employees at Winnipeg Transit and Brandon Transit, spoke about the members who were stabbed.

“It took all our breaths away,” Scott said. “(Wednesday) marks the seventh anniversary of the tragic death of Irwin Jubal Fraser and the day before we were alerted to the stabbing on the bus.

“(Transit) security officers can't come soon enough.”

Fraser, 58, died in the early hours of February 14, 2017, after being stabbed by Brian Kyle Thomas.

A transit driver who stopped his bus at the University of Manitoba repeatedly told Thomas to get off because it was the last stop. Fraser then pushed Thomas off the bus. During the subsequent quarrel, he was stabbed several times.

In 2019, Thomas was convicted of second-degree murder, with at least 12 years ineligible for parole.

Hiring and training 24 transit safety officers was a promise Mayor Scott Gillingham made in his State of the City address last year.

Gillingham has pledged to address the ongoing violence against bus drivers and passengers, as well as people sheltering for days and weeks in transit shelters.

Last month, the Winnipeg Police Association filed a complaint over concerns that security officers may be undermining their members' duties.

In another speech at a city event on Feb. 9, Gillingham said security officers would begin boarding buses and checking transit shelters “in 10 short days.”

A spokeswoman for the mayor said on Wednesday that security officers would begin work next week.

Scott said Wednesday there were “more than 250 safety incidents involving Transit and our members” in 2023.

“This alarming trend highlights the urgent need for continued vigilance and action to ensure the safety and well-being of all transit workers and passengers. We must work tirelessly to prevent such senseless violence from (recurring),” said the union leader.

“Never again should we witness the loss of a beloved member of our community to an act of transit violence.”

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Kevin Rollason
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Kevin Rollason is one of the most versatile reporters at the Winnipeg Free Press. Whether it covers city hall, the courts, or general reporting, you can count on Rollason to not only answer the 5 Ws—who, what, when, where, and why—but to do so in an engaging and accessible way for readers. .

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