4 charged after passengers threatened aboard London transit bus
The incident happened on Sunday afternoon
Four Londoners are facing charges after some scary moments on a London transit bus this weekend.
Police say four men got onto a city bus at Richmond Street and Fanshawe Park Road East on Sunday at about 3:40 p.m. Once on board, they sat in the back beside two other men.
"The four males became involved in an argument with the two men before the suspects brandished knives and threatened the men," London police said in a statement.
The two men spoke to the driver, who stopped the bus near Windermere Road and Perth Drive, near University Hospital.
The four suspects got off the bus and ran away. They were found and arrested a short distance away.
London Transit drivers are trained to deal with potentially dangerous situations, said Kelly Paleczny, who oversees the service.
Arrested, charged
"Riders are encouraged to make the bus operator aware of an issue unfolding on the bus if they are able or call 911, and to exit the bus and remove themselves from the situation at their first opportunity," she said in a statement.
Riders can ask the bus driver to stop between stops if they feel unsafe getting off at a regular stop. There's also on-board audio and video surveillance and drivers are able to notify London police.
In the case on Sunday, on-board audio and video footage was shared with police to assist in the investigation, Paleczny said.
Four men, aged 28, 22, 21, and 17, are all charged with assault with intent to steal.
The 28-year-old and 21-year-old have also been charged with failing to comply with a release order. The teenager has been charged with uttering death threats and two counts of failing to comply with a release order.
The three older suspects can't be named because doing so could potentially identify the 17-year-old, who cannot be named under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act, police said.