Caught on Camera: Brawl on SEPTA train

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - A new video of a brawl on SEPTA has authorities taking action.

When it comes to brawls on the Broad Street Line like one caught on tape and posted on Twitter, SEPTA riders say it's nothing unusual.

"I see it all the time after school--before school," SEPTA rider Vivian Sin told FOX 29. "It's terrible because why does everyone have to resort to violence?"

"I see it on a day-to-day basis and it breaks my heart," SEPTA rider Mike Burwell added.

A fight broke out on the Broad Street Line with a rider telling FOX 29 she wants to see more done to stop the violence. Chief Tom Nestel says SEPTA police are proactively using tips, crime data and incident reports trying to protect the riding public.

"Every day we change our deployment to be somewhere else to try to head off these problems," Chief Nestel explained.

"No one wants to stop it. Everyone wants to jump in, they'll record or just watch, no one really stopping it," Sin added.

Chief Nestel says SEPTA can't put a cop on every rail car but the public can help.

"SEPTA Transit Watch is a great tool for riders to have direct communication with transit police dispatchers," the chief said.

"One word can turn into a whole brawl and you find it was just from a simple comment," Burwell told FOX 29.

Burwell teaches kids about conflict resolution. He says kids need to talk and not fight.

"We gotta start teaching these young people how to love each other--how to talk things out--how to communicate and use what I call the power of suggestion," Burwell said.

"You should call 911, get on our app and let us know right away. We'll have officers intercept that train," Chief Nestel said

The chief says this brawl was not reported and police actually saw it on Twitter. He says after school brawls are happening across the city and not just on SEPTA.

SEPTA police are trying to identify the combatants and could file criminal charges. They could also revoke students SEPTA passes to ride the rails.