A 31-year-old man is facing several charges after allegedly going on a violent, racist tirade and head-butting another passenger on a crowded Vancouver SkyTrain Sunday night.  

Grant Christopher Stewart, of no fixed address, has been charged with assault causing bodily harm, assault, uttering threats, obstruction of a police officer and causing a disturbance.

Transit Police spokeswoman Anne Drennan said Stewart allegedly shoved his way onto a SkyTrain at Main Street Station, which was crowded with BC Lions fans after a game, and began yelling at one of the passengers.

The suspect -- who is around 240 pounds and six feet tall according to witnesses -- then head-butted the passenger, who fell to the ground bleeding profusely.

“The man was absolutely crazy, out of control,” Drennan said.

The suspect then began screaming about Satan, making racist slurs and threatening to kill other passengers on board, according to police.

“He was carrying a white bag and everybody was nervous as to what he had in the bag, as he was telling them he was going to kill them all,” Drennan said.

At that point Scott Watson, who was riding home from the football game on the train with his nine-year-old daughter leapt into action.

“He’s staring at me and he’s talking about how ‘we’re all going to die.’ I saw a bunch of people dialing 911,” Watson said. “I was the closest one to him, I was the only one between him and my daughter and the way he was talking I was afraid for what was going to happen next. So I pushed the yellow emergency strip on the train and then I charged him, slammed my arm up under his jaw and just held him there.”

Watson said he and several others held him down until the train got to the next station.

“The SkyTrain police were there immediately. I’m so glad they were there, I can’t express that enough” he said.

Just before the train doors opened the suspect turned and spat in the face of a young woman beside him, Watson said. Stewart was taken into custody immediately.

Watson said his daughter was extremely scared by the incident. “She stayed on the train and when the officers got him in handcuffs, I went and grabbed her and she was standing amongst people hysterical and screaming and scared,” he said.

Drennan said the man who was head-butted was treated on the scene for lacerations and severe pain and the passengers on the train were very traumatized.

“There were people who were crying on the platform, shivering and extremely upset. The woman who got a really big spit right in her face was traumatized and worried about bodily fluid issues,” Drennan said.

Police said the incident was not spurred by any post-football game rivalry and have ordered a psychiatric assessment for Stewart, who remains in custody.

“Whether it was a psychiatric issue or a drug issue, it made him extremely volatile and very violent,” Drennan said.

Watson said he appeared to be on drugs.  

A search of the white bag Stewart was carrying did not reveal any weapons.