VANCOUVER -- Dash cam video that appears to show a police SUV cutting off a driver in Vancouver's Oakridge neighbourhood is making the rounds online.
Reddit user VisibleIntern posted the video to the content sharing platform over the weekend.
The driver, who asked to remain anonymous, told CTV News he was on his way home from work when the Vancouver police SUV cut him off at the intersection of W 41st Avenue and Cambie Street shortly before 11 p.m. Saturday night.
He said he was caught off guard and had to slam on the brakes, but decided not to honk his horn when he realized it was a VPD vehicle that cut him off.
“I was kind of scared because there was no turning signal, no sirens on to tell me it was police and that they needed to go in front of me,” he said.
“It wasn’t a super close call because I was stopped at a red light shortly before but if it had been a green light and I was moving at a faster speed, there could have possibly been an accident.”
Const. Tania Visintin with the Vancouver Police Department said she can’t speculate on what may have been going on based on a 13 second video clip.
“It’s difficult to determine what information the member may have been receiving over the police radio,” Visintin told CTV News via email.
“For example, there could have been an in-progress call coming in that required the officer to make a quick decision to turn. Or, a suspect could have been right around the corner and the officer didn’t want to put on the lights and sirens to spook the suspect. There are so many different factors that wouldn’t be captured in the clip.”
Visintin added that VPD officers receive extensive driver training under the BC Emergency Vehicle Operation program.
