The Edmonton Transit System is reviewing its security procedures after a man was beaten to death on an LRT train last week.
John Hollar, 29, died after being attacked on a train Friday. Police said the attack lasted for six minutes, during which some passengers tried to intervene.
The train operator also announced that police were called, but that didn’t stop the assault, which was captured on surveillance cameras.
ETS officials decided it would be best to keep the doors closed and continue on to Clareview station, where police and security were available to apprehend the suspect.
But some are questioning whether stopping the train right away would have saved Hollar’s life.
Shortly after the attack, the transit system’s director of operational support, Ron Gabruck, said operators made the right decision to travel another three minutes to the next station.
The suspect, 29-year-old Jeremy Newborn, was arrested shortly after fleeing the train at the Clareview stop. An ETS safety inspector helped police make the arrest.
On Wednesday, Gabruck said ETS will review its safety procedures and also conduct an operational review.
“We want to know that the decisions made were the best ones under the circumstances and if there’s any gaps in our policy or procedure then we’ll address those gaps,” he said.
Newborn was originally charged with aggravated assault, but after Hollar was taken off life support on Sunday, police said they would upgrade the charge to second-degree murder.
The charge is expected to be formally laid on Jan. 14, during Newborn’s next scheduled court appearance.
Police said although the victim and the suspect knew each other, the attack appeared to be unprovoked. They allege Newborn was “the aggressor” and said the altercation was “one-sided.”
With a report from CTV Edmonton
