Four 13-year-old boys have been charged in connection with a “swarm” attack aboard a TTC bus in Scarborough.
Toronto police said two of the boys face one count of assault, while the other two face two counts of assault.
The arrests come after CTV News Toronto obtained video footage from a local business that shows at least a dozen people pushing and shoving in front of a TTC bus that stopped near Kennedy and Merian roads on Monday around 3:35 p.m.
The footage was captured at the same time and location as a “disgusting swarm”-style attack on two TTC employees.
“There were two on-duty TTC operators who were on their way to an aid station to pick up their vehicle and leave for their shift and they were attacked by what police said was a group of 10 to 15 people,” The spokesperson of the TTC, Stuart Green, told CTV News Toronto.
Although the TTC workers did not suffer life-threatening injuries, Jessica Davis, who saw the incident, said they looked “really shocked” and that the bus driver was “very upset.”
“She was visible — her hands were shaking,” Davis said.
Police have not confirmed whether the incident, caught on video, was swarming with TTC employees. However, officers collected the exact same surveillance footage as evidence in their investigation Tuesday morning, and the time stamp on the video matches the time of the incident.
On Monday, police said they received reports of 10 to 15 youths attacking uniformed officers on the bus before fleeing the area.
Police said there was actually a larger group of youths on the bus, but said investigators believe only four were directly involved in the attack.
However, police said the investigation is ongoing and officers are still appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
The four boys cannot be identified under the Youth Offending Act. They are due in court on March 21 at 2 p.m
TTC UNION SAYS ‘ENOUGH’
The union representing TTC workers, ATU Local 113, is calling on the city and the TTC for support in advocating for its members during these repeated acts of violence.
“We need to end these acts of violence and disrespect for transit workers,” Marvin Alfred, president of ATU Local 113, told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday.
In a press release issued on Tuesday, the union said “enough is enough”, backing the message that its members “shouldn’t have to go to work every day in fear of their lives”.
The swarm-style attack comes just days after a TTC operator was shot with a BB gun in Scarborough on Saturday night.
Alexandra Stockel, the 24-year-old operator, has come forward and written an open letter to Mayor John Tory and TTC CEO Rick Leary, calling for something to be done.
“These are not one-off incidents, these are targeted attacks. Both employees and passengers are unsafe when riding, driving and waiting for the TTC,” Stoeckle wrote, later adding that these violent incidents must stop.
“There has to be a change. And people need to remember that we are human beings, we have families and we are human before we become TTC employees.”
With files from CP24’s Bryann Aguilar and CTV News Toronto’s Janice Golding and Rahim Ladhani
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