A man is in custody after a female victim was set on fire at a transit station in Toronto early Friday afternoon.
Police say they were originally called to Kipling Station, near Kipling Avenue and Dundas Street, around 12:30 a.m. after receiving a report of a man attacking a woman nearby.
According to investigators, a man poured liquid on a woman and then set her on fire.
TTK employees, as well as nearby citizens, helped the victim and she was rushed to hospital.
The suspect was detained in connection with the incident.
TTC CEO Rick Leary told CP24 on Friday afternoon that the attack took place on a bus, not at the level of the track. Service on line 2 between Kipling and Islington stations was suspended while police conducted their investigation.
“I can tell you that TTC officers reacted right there to the incident and managed to help the police catch the suspect,” he said.
In an earlier statement, Leary said he was “shocked” by the attack at Kipling Station.
“Our thoughts are with the victim of full recovery,” he said. “I know that incidents like this are worrying for customers – and I share that concern.”
“Safety is paramount to everything we do, and I am committed to ensuring that TTC remains as safe as possible.”
Officials investigate incident at Kipling Station on June 17, 2022 (Sean McInnes / CTV News Toronto)
Leary added that while TTC provides transit to millions of customers each year without incident, they “cannot and do not take it for granted.”
He said special police officers are strategically patrolling the transit system to deter and respond to security incidents, and the agency is working with Toronto police to increase its presence.
As early as April, police said they would increase their visibility to the TTC after several violent and disturbing incidents, including a case in which a woman was pushed onto the rails as a train approached.
She manages to roll under the edge of the platform to avoid the oncoming train, getting a broken rib.
The woman sued TTC for negligence, claiming that TTC had “not implemented enough safety protocols on the subway platform”.
TTC, for its part, defends itself by saying that the victim chose to stand close to the edge of the platform and did not pay due care and attention to her surroundings.
Toronto police have reported several other cases of violence against the transit system since then, including attacks, stabbings and robberies. Leary said that in addition to ensuring that there are cameras and emergency alarms in all stations and vehicles, TTC is “actively recruiting new special police officers” and expanding its partnership with Streets to Homes to help people in crisis.
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