‘Things just escalated’
Man charged with murder in Winnipeg bus driver’s death
A man who allegedly fell asleep on a bus and, when roused, refused to leave has been charged in the fatal stabbing of a transit driver.
Brian Kyle Thomas, 22, of Winnipeg is facing charges including second-degree murder, possession of a weapon and failing to comply with a probation order.
Court records show Thomas has convictions dating back to 2012 for crimes that include weapons offences, assault and robbery. He has been in and out of custody and was last on probation in November.
Police say driver Irvine Jubal Fraser had finished his route at the University of Manitoba in the early hours Tuesday. Only one passenger was left on the bus.
“This individual was asked ... by the operator ... many, many times to exit the bus, that (it) was the end of the route and it was time to exit,” police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said Wednesday.
“Sadly, things just escalated from that point.”
He said the passenger walked to the front of the bus and the driver escorted him off. A scuffle continued outside and the driver was stabbed multiple times in the upper body.
The suspect was arrested trying to cross the frozen Red River near campus. Fraser, 58, died in hospital.
Colleagues have described Fraser as a popular guy who planned to retire next year. Callahan and others with the union visited his widow Tuesday to offer condolences and drop off sandwiches. He said the woman was very distraught. The couple lost a daughter a few years ago, he said.
Fraser’s death marks the first time a Winnipeg bus driver has been killed during an assault and not in a traffic accident.