Vancouver police have released surveillance photos of a man suspected of viciously attacking a lesbian couple on Commercial Drive in September.
Investigators believe the unidentified assailant became disturbed when he saw the women, Jacqueline Clarke and Ali Matson, exchange a kiss on a TransLink bus heading westbound on Hastings Street.
The heavyset suspect allegedly followed the pair off the bus at Commercial and proceeded to assault them both without provocation.
Clarke spoke to CTV News days after the attack, and described watching the man beat Matson.
“I was standing behind her and his big fist is mashing into her face and he’s screaming at her, ‘Shut up, just shut up,’” Clarke said.
The assailant also turned on Clarke and punched her while calling the couple “sluts,” she added.
A handful of Good Samaritans eventually intervened and chased the man away, but he managed to escape the scene and a police search of the area turned up no sign of him.
On Monday, police released photos from a bus surveillance camera in hopes of identifying a suspect.
He is described as a six-foot-tall white man, 35-40 years old, weighing about 220 pounds. He had short, black and grey hair and facial stubble and was wearing a black T-shirt, jeans and black shoes.
Anyone with information can contact the Vancouver Police Department or Crime Stoppers.
