Another alleged victim of homophobic SkyTrain incident comes forward

A day after an arrest was made in connection with a physical attack laced with homophobic slurs on SkyTrain, another man is coming forward with a similar story.

Rylan Friday, a Vancouver resident, said he and his partner were holding hands on the SkyTrain travelling between the Joyce-Collingwood and Metrotown stations on June 23 when it happened.

Friday said a man boarded the train and yelled, “Hey guys, you’re being f—king offensive. There’s a f—king kid here,” at them.

He said things escalated and the man started to call them a homophobic slur.

The suspect, according to Friday, appeared to be the same man seen in video released by Metro Vancouver Transit Police on Wednesday in connection with another attack on a gay couple on Sept. 28, between the Burrard and Granville stations in Vancouver.

Police announced a suspect was taken into custody Wednesday evening.

The 36-year-old Vancouver resident was released on a promise to appear in court in January.

Transit police Sgt. Clint Hampton said Thursday the suspect could be charged with assault.

Friday said he and his partner feared the verbal assault against them would have escalated into a physical attack had they not pressed the yellow emergency bar on the SkyTrain.

He said the man exited the train at Metrotown Station and took off.

Fisher said he and his partner filed a report with transit police, but were told there was an issue accessing the camera footage from the platform.

Transit police confirmed they are investigating two incidents involving the same suspect.

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