Woman Violently Beaten on Vancouver Bus For Defending Asian Women From Racist Man

May 12, 2020

A woman was violently attacked by a male passenger inside a Vancouver bus after she tried to defend two Asian women from verbal abuse.

Seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspect, the Metro Vancouver Transit Police has released an image of the man who allegedly berated the Asian women with racial slurs and then punched the other woman repeatedly.

The man boarded a bus at Main Street and East Hastings in Vancouver at around 4:25 p.m., on April 15, reports the Transit Police. Two Asian women also boarded the bus a few minutes later and immediately caught the man’s attention. Without provocation, the man began talking to the women who were then wearing protective masks.

“Go back to your country; that’s where it all started,” the man reportedly said.

Upon hearing the man’s comments, the woman sitting directly across the man told him to leave the two women alone. An argument between the man and woman ensued, with the suspect allegedly threatening the victim.

Soon after, the suspect jumped up and kicked the woman in the leg. When the victim tried to stand up, the suspect reached for her hair and violently pulled it so hard that a large clump of hair was uprooted from her head.

The victim received numerous punches to the head before being wrestled to the floor of the bus. She was pinned to the ground but she managed to fight the suspect off, causing him to eventually flee the scene.

The suspect, described as a 5’6” tall Caucasian male, was last seen running away near Commercial Drive and East Hastings.

According to the Transit Police, they are looking for a stocky-build man, around 45-55 years old, and approximately weighing 180 lbs. During the attack, he was wearing a red baseball hat with the letter “V” marked in the middle, a blue t-shirt, light grey sweat pants and blue shoes. He was also carrying a dark grey jacket with a grey backpack.

Meanwhile, the victim sustained an injured scalp and bruising on her leg.

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In an interview with CTV News Vancouver, Transit police Const. Mike Yake shared that the victim is doing “relatively well.”

“It’s extremely disappointing. And we’re very clear that there’s no room on transit for violence or racism. This woman was simply a Good Samaritan,” Yake was quoted as saying. After speaking to multiple witnesses, the investigators decided they need more help in identifying the suspect.

“Violence and racism have no place on the transit system,” the report on the Transit Police website read. “Metro Vancouver Transit Police would like to speak to anyone with information about the identity of this suspect or who witnessed this incident.”

Anyone with information related to the incident is urged to contact the Metro Vancouver Transit Police tip line at (604) 516-7419 or send a text to 877777 and refer to case 2020-7645.

Feature Image via Transit Police

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