Death on Toronto subway treated as homicide with man in custody, police say

TORONTO – Toronto police say the death of a young man at one of the city’s busiest subway stations is being treated as a homicide.

Det. Rob North says police were called to the Yonge-Bloor subway station, which connects the city’s two primary transit lines, at around 10:15 a.m. Monday.

He says police are still trying to piece together what happened, but says a man in his 20s fell on the track and was struck by the subway train.

After reviewing surveillance video, North says it became clear that the death was not accidental.

North says police arrested a suspect at street level shortly after the incident. The man in his 40s has not yet been charged.

Half of the subway station is expected to remain closed through the rush hour, likely impacting the afternoon commute.

North, who works with the homicide unit, declined to offer any details about the cause of death or whether the victim and suspect knew each other, but said the suspicious nature of the death emerged quickly.

“Video in the subway system is very clear video,” he said. “Obviously we’ve seen something on there that causes us some concern.”

Police view the death as an isolated incident, North said.

Toronto Transit Commission spokesman Brad Ross said intentional deaths on the subway system are extremely rare, adding the last case took place in 1997 when someone was deliberately pushed onto the tracks.

The TTC will work to ensure the driver of the train receives any help that may be necessary, he said.

Ross said the Yonge portion of the station, which serves as the centre point of the city’s east-west transit line, will remain closed while police continue their investigation.

North said police are looking to speak to anyone who may have been on the platform at the time of the incident and urged anyone with information to come forward.