Video shows suspect in bear spray attack on Vancouver bus driver

Police have released surveillance video of a suspect wanted in connection with a recent unprovoked attack on a bus driver in East Vancouver.

Authorities said the victim was driving on Main Street in the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 20, when a passenger approached him, reached around his protective Plexiglas barrier and deployed a substance believed to be bear spray in his face.

The driver and passenger had "no interaction" prior to the attack, according to Metro Vancouver Transit Police.

"This employee was providing an essential and highly valuable service to the public," Const. Amanda Steed said in a news release. "Everyone deserves to be free from fear of harassment or assault while on transit, including the frontline employees who keep the system moving. Violence of any kind will never be tolerated."

The surveillance video, which was shared by police on Monday, weeks after the incident, captured a suspect boarding the bus on Main between Prior Street and National Avenue at around 2:45 a.m.

Minutes later, the recording shows the suspect standing up from his seat while the bus was in motion and stumbling to the floor.

Authorities did not release video of the attack on the driver.

In a news release, Metro Vancouver Transit Police said the victim was "immediately overcome by the affects of the spray, as his ability to breathe became impaired." Firefighters treated him at the scene, and he didn't suffer any serious physical injuries – but police said the incident has had a continuing impact on his mental health. He remains off duty.

The bus drivers’ union is troubled by what it calls a rise in violence against its members. In January, a total of 26 buses were damaged as rocks and other projectiles were thrown at them on East Hastings street. The union says it will now ask Coast Mountain Bus Company to provide security along some bus routes, including those in the Downtown Eastside.

“It’s just happening more and more,” said Balbir Mann, president of Unifor Local 111. “Our members feel scared driving through that corridor and I don’t blame them.”

Authorities asked anyone with information on the suspect's identity to contact Metro Vancouver Transit Police by calling 604-515-8300 or texting 87.77.77.

The suspect is described as an Indigenous man between the ages of 35 and 45 who has a slim build and short, black hair. He was wearing a black hooded jacket, dark pants, black running shoes, and a black backpack with a naloxone kit hanging from the shoulder. He also had sunglasses, a surgical mask, a necklace and a medium-sized pendant or keys near his mid-section, police said.