“I really felt for her, for her family,” Amarjeet Sohi told CTV News Edmonton. “You do not want to have this kind of terrifying experience on our public property, especially on public transport … It really scares people away from the transport system.” Sharda Devi, the elderly woman who was attacked, was still in the hospital on Wednesday and her brother explained that her injured leg may need to be amputated. “I appreciate what the police did. I’m really grateful for their efforts to find the person,” said Ram Mudalier. Police revealed Wednesday afternoon that the suspect was arrested by peacekeepers on Tuesday at 3pm at Churchill LRT. He was identified as 20-year-old Kendall Raine. He faces aggravated charges of assaulting Devi. Raine was also charged with assault with a firearm after allegedly threatening a 53-year-old man at Churchill Station. “Transit peacekeepers have identified Raine as the man responsible for the attack on the 78-year-old woman at Jubilee LRT last night,” Sgt said. Daniel Tames wrote in a release. “As a result, he contacted the police and Raine was taken into custody in both cases.”
“THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT USUAL”
A spokesman for the local transit association said he could not remember the last time someone was pushed on LRT rails in Edmonton. However, it would welcome more security. “This is definitely not uncommon. Whoever committed this incident looks like a unique one,” said Steve Bradshaw of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 569. “Do we need more peacekeepers out there? We definitely need them. We need more of them. All of this requires a budget and the city council needs to be careful.” More peacekeeping officers and service workers were announced in February as part of a new $ 3.9 million safety plan. This strategy will add a total of six more staff members. Two of these officers will patrol stations, something Sochi said would help improve the system, but he believes the root causes of the crime in and around the checkpoints are complex and require more help from the provincial government. “Most of the challenges we face in public transportation come from the fact that we do not invest enough in supportive housing, we do not have enough support system for mental health issues and we do not have enough support system for people experiencing addiction,” he said. “These are the responsibilities of the province … They must accelerate.” Earlier this month, it was announced that Edmonton would receive a total of $ 67 million from both Alberta and federal governments to cover pandemic transit revenue shortfalls. With files from Alison MacKinnon of CTV News Edmonton
