Violent assault on Vancouver bus caught on camera, police hoping to identify suspect

A violent, unprovoked assault on a Vancouver bus that was caught on camera last month has prompted an appeal from police to help identify a suspect.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police say a 43-year-old woman was punched in the head and face several times during an altercation on June 20. She was on a northbound Main Street bus at about 7:30 p.m. that day when a man she didn't know boarded at Marine Drive and sat a few seats away from her.

Not long after the bus left, police said, the man allegedly approached the woman and stood a few inches from her, shook his fist in the air and threatened to punch her. The woman talked to the bus driver to make him aware of the situation.

Video of the encounter shows that, when the bus stopped, the man approached the victim while she was talking to the driver. That's when he allegedly punched her several times, causing her to fall down.

"Even for myself, I've seen thousands of videos, and it is quite shocking to watch. Luckily the victim didn't sustain any serious physical injuries, but as you can imagine, an incident like this can be quite traumatizing," Const. Amanda Steed told CTV News Vancouver, adding the attack was "completely unprovoked and random."

"We are, as a police department, very concerned about the uptick in random stranger assaults, just like any other city," she said.

Steed said the situation unfolded very quickly and thinks other transit users on the bus were in shock.

"It's absolutely terrifying," she said. "We would never ask anyone to get involved, we would never as a member of the public to put themselves in harm's way, but it is shocking to watch her lay on the floor of the bus by herself without any assistance."

The suspect was seen exiting the bus at Main Street and 64th Avenue. He's described by police as black, between 30 and 50 years old and 6' tall. He has a slim build and short, black hair. Police said he was wearing a light brown pullover, dark coloured pants and black runners at the time.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call transit police at 604-515-8300.