Assault on Winnipeg Transit's Santa Bus caught on camera

The City of Winnipeg says it has never heard of anyone being attacked onthe Santa Bus before, but that's exactly what happenedwhen a manpunched another man in front of other passengers aboard the holiday-themed transit bus this afternoon.

CBC Radio producer Christopher Read says he was interviewing passengers riding the Santa Buswhentrouble started at a bus stop outside Portage Place shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday.

"A man on the bus had a verbal interaction with a man and woman getting on the bus. The man then followed the couple to the back of the bus," Read said.

"There was some shouting and then just as I turned around to aim my iPhone at the dispute, the man who had followed the couple to the back began punching the other man right there in his seat."

The man who did the hitting got offthe bus after he was encouraged to leave by another passenger who had intervened.

Read said the bus driver then stopped the vehicle for several minutes and spoke withthe victim, who appeared to be bleeding from his mouth.

The City of Winnipeg confirms that two men were engaged in a dispute and one of them leftimmediately.

The driver asked the man who remained if he needed medical attention or wanted to contactpolice, but he refused both and got off the bus shortly afterwards, a city spokesperson told CBC News.

The city says it hasnever heard of an assault on the Santa Bus before, but thespokesperson said generally speaking, disputes and altercations between passengers are not unusual.

Every year, Winnipeg Transit operates the Santa Bus, which diverts all fares collected to the Christmas Cheer Board. This year's bus began operating on Monday.