Transit police have taken a suspect into custody in connection to an apparent hate crime where a same-sex couple was assaulted and harassed while riding the SkyTrain.
At about 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 28, two young men boarded the SkyTrain at Waterfront Station. As they stepped onto the train, another man kicked the foot of one of the young men and then left his seat and aggressively approached him.
Transit police are looking for this suspect in an alleged attack on a SkyTrain. Photos courtesy Metro Vancouver Transit Police
“The victim crouched down in fear as the suspect raised his hand as if to hit him, while yelling obscenities and homophobic insults,” Transit police said in a press release.
“An unidentified passenger pulled the suspect away from the victim while the victim’s husband pushed the yellow emergency strip on the train,” the press release reads. “As the suspect again became aggressive toward the victim, his husband grabbed him and pulled him away. The suspect then hit the husband in the face, knocking off his glasses.”
As the train pulled into Granville SkyTrain Station, the suspect tried to kick one of the men in the stomach and then stepped off the train and spat in the other man’s face. He continued to shout profanities and homophobic insults at the couple as he walked away.
The two victims were taken to hospital where they were treated for minor injuries and released.
Transit police investigators have been in contact with the B.C. Hate Crimes Unit as the investigation has unfolded.
Authorities turned to the public Wednesday to identify the suspect, who was subsequently located and taken into custody.
With files from Lindsay William-Ross/Vancouver Is Awesome
This is an updated version of a previously published story.
