2 charged for allegedly assaulting Winnipeg Transit driver

Winnipeg police say two people have been charged after a transit bus driver was assaulted earlier this week.

WPS says around 10 p.m. on Monday, officers responded to a report of an assault on a Winnipeg Transit bus along Main Street.

Officers responded and were able to take a man and a woman into custody a short time later in a nearby parking lot.

Police believe that the man and woman were passengers on the bus and got into a verbal dispute with the bus driver.

This reportedly escalated, and the bus driver was allegedly assaulted by the man and spat on by the woman before they fled the bus. While fleeing, the man allegedly took out a knife and slashed the outside of the bus.

“This is why we pushed so hard to have this police-on-bus initiative, both uniformed and plain clothes, to address these issues,” said Chris Scott, the president of the Amalgamated Transit Union.

Police have since charged 29-year-old Reece Alexander John Turnbull with assault and failing to comply with conditions of a release order. 25-year-old Emilee Mina Alexis Dubois has also been charged with assault, possession of a scheduled substance and for an outstanding warrant of theft under $5,000.

It all comes during larger discussions of bail reform, both locally and across the country.

“Unfortunately, it’s difficult to strike that balance on which offenders should be provided the opportunity to be in the community and which should be held until trial date. That’s a broader discussion that I don’t know if anyone individual can accurately speak to,” said Scott.

But he says he would like to see stricter sentences for people who assault public transit workers. A bill to put that place lapsed during the election.

“The efforts are once again proceeding to have those improvements made,” said Scott.

The union is also pushing for full compartment enclosures for drivers – something the city is considering.

However, the City of Winnipeg says, “The City is on pace to match its worst year for security incidents on record at 216 thus far.”

In a statement to CityNews, they add, “Winnipeg Transit is committed to providing a safe transit service and a safe work environment. We are always exploring new options when it comes to the safety of our bus operators and passengers.”

Before noting that since 2017, the City has made more than $9M in investments in Transit safety initiatives. More on those initiatives can be viewed by clicking here.

-With files from Stef Lasuik