WATCH: TTC bus driver beats up passenger who allegedly spat on him
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Toronto Police have arrested a man for allegedly spitting on a TTC bus driver who then allegedly retaliated by beating him up.
The TTC said it is investigating after footage of the incident, which took place Sunday near Lawrence and Pharmacy Aves. in Scarborough, surfaced on social media.
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WATCH: TTC bus driver beats up passenger who allegedly spat on him Back to video
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In the 42-second clip uploaded by @TorontoPoliceCar on Reddit Wednesday, a TTC driver is seen chasing after a man and punching him several times in the parking lot of a strip mall while a woman tries to intervene.
“We became aware of the incident when the operator reported being assaulted by a customer who spat on him,” said TTC spokesperson Stuart Green. “As is standard practice, we are investigating and encourage anyone who witnessed it to share their information with us.”
Police said the incident took place around 9:45 a.m. when officers responded to an unknown trouble call.
Const. Michelle Flannery said it’s alleged that the TTC driver had been spat on by a man and that the man had run away.
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Police located and arrested the man.
Mohamed Synon, 18, has been charged with assault and is scheduled to appear at Eglinton Ave. E. court on Oct. 6.
The police investigation is also ongoing.
Carlos Santos, the president of Amalgamated Transit Unit Local 113, which represents TTC workers, said the video documents a wider problem of assaults that TTC employees have to face while on the job.
“While we don’t yet have the full details, it’s important to understand a video clip often only tells part of the story,” he said in a statement.
“I’m happy to see that Toronto Police Service has charged the passenger with assault for spitting on the TTC bus operator. Every day, TTC workers face assaults and abuse, which is completely unacceptable. The TTC needs to invest more to protect riders and workers who are increasingly dealing with assaults on the job.”
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