Police arrest man over alleged hate-motivated threats at Toronto subway station

Toronto police say they've arrested a man who allegedly hurled racial slurs at commuters at a city subway station, marking the latest troubling incident on the local transit system.

Police allege the suspect was inside the Kennedy subway station on Friday morning with a sharp object in his hand, chasing people inside the station and yelling racial slurs at them.

They say the suspect fled on foot before police arrived.

They say a 24-year-old man is now facing seven charges, including one count each of uttering threats and assault with a weapon.

It's the latest in a string of high-profile violent incidents on Toronto transit routes, including last week's deadly, unprovoked attack on a 16-year-old boy at Keele subway station.

Experts say the rise in violence signals an urgent need to better support people in the city struggling with homelessness, mental illness and addiction.