Lawyers for two police officers charged after a newspaper delivery truck driver was attacked on a downtown Vancouver Street have appeared in provincial court on their behalf.
The case against West Vancouver Const. Griffen Gillan and New Westminster officer Jeffrey Klassen was put over to Feb. 27.
Klassen, 38, is charged with assaulting Firoz "Phil" Khan and Gillan with robbing him outside the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Vancouver in the early morning hours of Jan. 21.
The Surrey resident was dropping off newspapers to pay boxes and local hotels in the 600-block of Burrard Street, when he claims he was kicked and beaten by the three off-duty police officers. He says the officers stole his cellphone and $200 from his wallet.
Gillan, Klassen and a third officer from the Delta police department were off-duty at the time of the alleged incident.
Crown prosecutor Ralph Keefer says he can't rule out charges against the 28-year-old Delta officer until he has reviewed the file.
David Butcher, Gillan's lawyer, said his client would plead not guilty.
"He's clearly going to plead not guilty. There is absolutely going to be no doubt about that at all. And in fact we're waiting for the crown disclosure, there isn't any yet," he said.
Vancouver police opted to recommend against charges for the third officer, saying evidence suggests the Delta officer may have been trying to stop the beating.
Khan suffered a chipped tooth during the attack, but was not hospitalized.
He maintains the attack was racially motivated.
With files from The Canadian Press
