Transit police share images of man who allegedly stabbed stranger on SkyTrain

Metro Vancouver Transit Police have released photos and video of a man they suspect of stabbing a stranger on the SkyTrain in Surrey last weekend.

The incident occurred just before 1 a.m. on Saturday, April 15, while a train was in motion between Gateway and Surrey Central stations, according to the MVTP.

"There was an alleged verbal interaction between the victim and a nearby male passenger, which resulted in the male passenger pulling out a sharp object and stabbing the victim in the abdomen," police said in a statement Wednesday.

The victim – a 24-year-old Surrey resident – and his girlfriend got off the train at Surrey Central with help from a witness, according to police, who said the suspect continued on the train to King George Station, where he got off.

The MVTP said the victim was taken to hospital in serious condition, but has since been released.

The suspect entered the SkyTrain system at Stadium-Chinatown Station earlier in the day, according to police. They describe him as a white man with a light-brown beard. He stands approximately six feet tall and was wearing a black jacket and a grey hoodie, with the hood pulled up over his hat.

The hoodie had the words "Trust No One" embroidered on the hood, police said, adding that the suspect was wearing blue jeans with black shoes and was wearing glasses "at one point."

Transit police said the suspect was wearing glasses "at one point." (MVTP)

“Everyone has the right to use the transit system without the fear of being attacked," said Stephen Crosby, senior manager of strategic services for the MVTP, in the release.

"Our detectives have undertaken several investigative avenues to identify the suspect and are now at the stage of appealing to the public for help, so that an arrest can be made."

Anyone with information on the identity of the suspect is asked to call transit police at 604-515-8302 or text 87-77-77 and refer to file number 2023-7065.

Saturday's attack was the third stabbing on public transit in a week, following the killing of 17-year-old Ethan Bespflug on a Surrey bus on April 11 and a stabbing on a SkyTrain in New Westminster the day before that.

The issue of violence on transit has risen to the forefront of political discourse in B.C. in recent days, with the official opposition lambasting the NDP government during question period for two straight days to start this week. 

B.C. is not the only North American jurisdiction dealing with an apparent increase in transit violence. Canada's premiers and chiefs of police are scheduled to hold a virtual meeting Friday to discuss public safety, violent crime, and investments to address root causes of crime. 

Both local police departments and the MVTP have pledged increased visibility on transit and at transit hubs in response to recent, high-profile acts of violence.