Caught on video: London, Ont. bus driver slugs man during altercation
Video of a London transit bus driver appears to show him punch a man across the face -- but the passenger who filmed the incident says there is more to the story.
On Thursday evening, 22-year-old journalism graduate Divyasri Sreekumar filmed the incident from inside a bus at the stop outside Masonville Place.
Sreekumar says a man wearing a brown shirt had been disturbing people at the bus stop prior to the driver’s arrival.
“This guy was screaming, and was basically being a perv and a creepy guy,” she describes.
She wants people to know the full context of the video, describing how the driver told the man to leave, but he grew more defiant -- spitting at the driver.
“He spit so hard that everyone (at the bus stop) said ,‘Ohhh!’” she adds. “Next I see the driver punches the guy and pushes him off.”
London Transit Commission General Manager Kelly Paleczny tells CTV News London that an investigation was launched into the incident, and no other details can be provided at this time.
At 7:40 p.m. London police were called to the bus stop about a person causing a disturbance -- but their response was cancelled when they received a subsequent call that the person had left the area.
After the man left, Sreekumar says the bus driver involved in the incident apologized to people waiting for the bus.
“He would walk around to the other bystanders and say we are so sorry you had to see this. So sorry for making you uncomfortable. But everyone was like, ‘We totally understand.’”
CTV News London was unable to locate the man in brown to ask his version of the events.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.