Two charged in violent attack on Calgary Transit bus driver: CPS

Two men are facing charges and a Calgary Transit bus driver is recovering in hospital after being attacked in the city’s northeast early Wednesday morning.

Police say it happened just before 1:15 a.m. in the area of Falconridge Boulevard and Castleridge Boulevard NE.

Investigators believe the driver was attacked by two men he didn’t know after he refused their request to deviate his route from the regular bus route.

He received “significant” injuries and was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition. The driver has since been upgraded to stable condition.

Another passenger on the bus tried to break up the attack, according to police. They were not seriously injured.

In an update Wednesday afternoon, police said two men were taken into custody and charges against them are pending.

On Thursday, 22-year-old Darryl Flett was charged with one count of aggravated assault, one count of robbery and one count of failing to comply with a court order. Police also charged 20-year-old Curtis Baker Spence with one count of aggravated assault, one count of robbery, and four counts of failing to comply with a court order.

The pair are scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

“We fully recognize that this is a highly concerning incident for Calgarians, and we are working with our partners at Calgary Transit to ensure all investigative leads are thoroughly examined and that the right supports are available for those directly impacted,” says CPS acting supt. Gerry Francois.

Anyone with additional information is being urged to call police at 403-266-1234, or submit tips anonymously to CrimeStoppers.

Mayor calls attack ‘unacceptable‘

Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek says the attack on a bus driver doing his job is a sign of a time when many people feel emboldened to unleash senseless violence.

Gondek is calling the attack “disturbing” and “unacceptable” and says she is looking at how to better protect transit operators from facing violence on the job.

“These are really good people,” she says. “These are people that take their jobs very seriously, and to have this happen is jarring and it’s just not right.”

“I can’t believe that somebody thought this was okay to do. We need to understand what happened and how we can make it better into the future.”

In addition to asking for an extensive review on safety for transit workers and input on how it can be improved, Gondek says they will be looking at what other cities are doing to address the issue.

With files from Nadia Moharib