One arrested after fight breaks out on city bus on Eighth Street

A 19-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday following a fight on a Saskatoon Transit bus.

According to police, officers were called to a stationary bus on Eighth Street after getting reports of a dispute between three men.

“It was reported to police that one of the males had made inappropriate verbal advances towards a group of underage females on the bus when he was confronted by two other males,” police explained in a statement.

“A physical altercation occurred on the bus before the involved parties exited and fled.”

The fficers caught up with one of the men involved a short distance later. According to police, he appeared to be intoxicated and was trying to get on a different bus.

During his arrest, police said he spat in the face of an officer. As a result, he’s been charged with assaulting a police officer and breaching court-ordered conditions.

Police have responded to at least four concerning incidents involving city buses during the month of May, including two separate stabbings.

On May 1, an 18-year-old man was hospitalized after he was stabbed while riding a bus at the corner of Broadway Avenue and 12th Street East.

Last Thursday, a 20-year-old man and 15-year-old girl were hospitalized with serious stab wounds after an incident on a Saskatoon Transit bus.

Then, on Monday, a 55-year-old bus driver was taken to St. Paul’s Hospital after he was reportedly attacked outside a bus on Fairmont Drive.

Last year, 110 metal barriers with sliding Plexiglas were installed on city buses to help protect drivers from attacks.

The City of Saskatoon’s two-year budget, announced in November, also included $482,000 for a targeted support program to address transit concerns. Community support officers will be present on routes where incidents occur most frequently starting on July 1.