TORONTO — A video circulating on social media shows Toronto Transit Commission special constables wrestling a resistant man in a red shirt through a subway station before dragging him up a moving escalator, prompting questions about the limited tools available to the officers.The clip, posted by 6ixBuzzTV on Thursday, captures two special constables engaging the individual near elevators at a Yonge-line station. The man is forced to the ground in a struggle before the pair attempt to move him up the escalator. One officer appears to lose footing or struggle on the steps while the other maintains control of the subject, who continues to resist. Bystanders filmed the incident as it unfolded.Ontario Special Constable Association president Sarah Kennedy, responding to a request for comment, stressed that social media clips are incomplete snapshots. “It may not be immediately obvious, but there’s a hacksaw on the floor of the subway station where the accused had been standing at the beginning of the video,” Kennedy said. “That’s an important point for anyone viewing the video to consider.”“What is it going to take for Special Constables to get the tools and resources we need? Why do we have to continue to do our jobs, now regulated and standardized, without the equipment and authorities we need?” Kennedy asked..WATCH: Ontario expands transit constable powers to arrest for illegal drug use.The Ontario government recently expanded special constables’ powers on transit systems, including the TTC, Metrolinx and OC Transpo, allowing them to arrest for public drug use without a warrant under regulations that took effect July 1.The change was framed as a response to open drug use and safety concerns on public transit. Kennedy has previously supported expanded authorities while continuing to advocate for better use-of-force options, including conducted energy weapons, arguing they provide safer distance control than batons.Conducted energy weapons, commonly known as tasers, are not authorized for most special constables in Ontario, with some exceptions such as those employed by the Niagara Parks Commission.The man in the video has not been publicly identified, and no further details on charges have been released by the TTC or Toronto Police. The incident remains before the courts.
