A police incident shut down an important connection for Coquitlam transit riders on the Millennium Line this past weekend.
Lincoln Station was closed for nearly two hours last Saturday evening (Dec. 11) while transit police and members of the Coquitlam RCMP investigated a fight that left one man injured.
Const. Mike Yake, of the Metro Vancouver Transit Police, said a man was taken to hospital with minor injuries suffered when he was slashed with a knife during the altercation.
Police were called to the scene just after 5 p.m. to deal with the fight between two people who knew each other.
During the investigation, the station was shut down until 6:45 p.m. and a bus bridge set up between Coquitlam Central Station and Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station to ensure transit riders got to their destination.
#Skytrain Bus Bridge replacing Millennium Line service from Coquitlam Central to Lafarge Lake-Douglas Stations due to police incident. ^kg
— TransLink BC | Masks Mandatory (@TransLink) December 12, 2021
Yake told the Tri-City News that an 18-year-old man was arrested for assault causing bodily harm. He was later released with multiple conditions, including that he not have contact with victim and not to posses knives or firearms.
The man is only "minimally known" to police, Yake said.
Meanwhile, the injured man has not been cooperating with police.
“Both parties are known to each other,” Yake confirmed, adding that it was an "isolated incident" and there was no concern for public safety.
Members of the public who use transit frequently are encouraged to put Metro Vancouver Transit Police into their contacts so they can quickly text if they see an incident that gives them concern or makes them uncomfortable.
Yake said the number to text is 87-77-77, which allows members of the public to connect in real time with dispatchers, who can then send officers to the scene.
"We encourage everyone, if they are using transit, to put it into their phone contacts," he said.
