Edmonton man assaulted at LRT station
Posted March 29, 2023 6:29 pm.
An Edmonton man was the most recent victim of an assault at an LRT station.
“A fair bit of paranoia, always looking over my shoulder,” says Alex Baril.
Those were the emotions he was feeling when he stepped foot inside the Corona LRT station for the first time since he was assaulted last week.
“Definitely a bundle of nerves because it doesn’t feel quite as safe to come here anymore.”
Alex Baril. (Photo Courtesy: Alex Baril)
The Edmonton Police say they responded to the Southgate LRT station for the report of an assault shortly after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 22nd.
It was reported to police by ETS Security that a male suspect struck a stranger twice with an object, unprovoked, before boarding the train to Corona LRT Station.
That’s when the suspect followed Baril off the train and struck him in the head with the object.
“No prior interaction, nothing to indicate I had provoked him or offended him in any way, shape, or form,” says Baril. “He hit me so hard I was just in a complete state of shock, I didn’t realize what had happened.”
According to a report released by EPS earlier this month, crime rates increased on city transit over the last year. The report saw a 31.4 per cent increase in police dispatch calls over the year, and a 52.8 per cent increase in the number of violent calls.
EPS says it will continue to work closely with the City of Edmonton and social agency partners, including Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, to try and find ways to improve safety.
For Barin, he’ll be steering clear from the LRT for a while, and hopes to see more being done to keep riders safe. Maybe turnstiles, or just better enforcement,” he suggests. “It’s very tragic to hear that people are now afraid of something they should feel safe to be on.”
Alex Baril. (Photo Courtesy: Alex Baril)
Both Baril and the other male victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
EPS say Transit Peace Officers arrested the male suspect and turned him over to police. The 35-year-old man is now facing several charges including aggravated assault, assault with a weapon, and other weapons-related charges.
