Racist Who Punched Indo-Canadian Bus Driver In Surrey Arrested

SURREY – A 23-year-old Surreyman who is accused of assaultinga South Asian bus driver wasarrested Wednesday morningfor the incident that took placeat the Surrey Central Station busloop on Monday.Brandon John Watterworth wasarrested and charged with robberyand breach of recognizance.He is in custody andmade a court appearance onThursday. He was arrested at hishome just after midnight bytransit police, who were actingon a tip from the public regardinghis identity. Nathan Woods,president of Unifor Local 111,told the Province newspaper theincident began whenWatterworth boarded the CoastMountain bus at 168th Streetand Fraser Highway and startedshouting racist obscenities at theIndo-Canadian driver.Woods said the driver waspunched in the face and had hisglasses smashed.When the bus driver, andberserk passenger arrived atSurrey Central Station, the driverchased the unruly passenger— only to be assaulted again.Watterworth reportedlypunched the driver numeroustimes and made derogatorycomments towards the driver,including racial slurs. The driversuffered cuts and abrasions andwas treated at the scene byambulance attendants.“He’s hurt, he’s upset, and he’sscared,” Woods said of theinjured driver. “He didn’t expectthis. It just came out of theblue.” The union representingMetro Vancouver transit busdrivers had been offering areward of up to $15,000 forinformation leading to an arrest.The man reportedly punchedthe driver numerous times andmade derogatory commentstowards the driver, includingracial slurs. The driver sufferedcuts and abrasions and wastreated at the scene by ambulanceattendants.The suspect, who transit policesaid is “very” well known tothem, breached the conditionsof his bail relating to previousassault and weapons charges, aswell as assaulting a police officer.He was on bail related to2012 charges in Surrey ofassaulting a police officer, carryinga concealed weapon and carryinga prohibited weapon withouta licence, and a VancouverPolice Department charge ofbreach of recognizance. His bailconditions included a curfewand abstaining from alcohol anddrug consumption.