Five people are in police custody after a musician was viciously attacked and taunted with racial slurs at a bus stop in Surrey, B.C. Friday night.
Michael Taylor was bussing home from a gig at the Shangri-La hotel in downtown Vancouver when he saw a group of youths harassing a fellow passenger.
Taylor tried to intervene, but was hit in the head from behind as he exited the bus and knocked unconscious on the street.
"It is in Mike's nature to recognize when somebody is being victimized and to champion their cause," said Taylor's friend and bandmate Tony Chamberlist.
Chamberlist says his assailants used racial slurs during the attack, and stole Taylor's carbon fibre RainSong guitar – though it has since been recovered.
The singer suffered head injuries, but has been released from hospital and is recovering at home.
Surrey RCMP could not confirm whether the attack would be designated a hate crime, but said the investigation is ongoing and that more information may be released Monday.
Diane Lines, who plays with Taylor and Chamberlist in the trio Acoustic Groove, said the guitarist has a two-year-old daughter and is expecting a second child this month.
He'll be unable to play for about a week while he recovers from the assault, but Lines said their fans have been chipping in to help out.
"People came to our gig last night, they brought cheques, they brought cash to put in a fund for Mike … it's been lovely," she said.
The group is planning to host a fundraiser for him, the details of which will be posted on the Acoustic Groove website and Facebook page.
There is no word yet on charges in the attack.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Julia Foy
