Man sentenced to jail for assaulting TTC employee

A man has been handed a jail sentence for assaulting a TTC bus operator.

On August 25, a male was on a bus at Kennedy Station.  The man was unhappy with the bus routing, and after receiving directions from the bus operator, he became angry and spat in the bus operator's face.  The suspect fled the scene, but was arrested a short time later by members of Toronto Police.

On August 29, Gary Oke, 61, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault and was sentenced to 75 days in jail.

On average, two TTC employees are assaulted every day, ranging from punching, slapping and spitting, to threats of physical harm or death. The TTC’s Court Advocates work with Crown Attorneys to secure the stiffest penalties possible for those convicted of assaulting TTC employees and continue to seek limits on the use of public transit in Toronto for those convicted of these crimes.