Man accused of shooting pellet gun at first responders in DTES released from custody

Vancouver police say the man they believe is responsible for shooting a pellet gun at first responders working in the Downtown Eastside on Sunday night has been released from custody.

Around 11 p.m., officers responded to reports of paramedics being shot at with a pellet gun from the Maple Hotel, according to the Vancouver Police Department

Upon arrival, police were allegedly struck several times by pellets, with one officer suffering minor injuries.

Police arrested a 45-year-old man but say the Crown has yet to approve any charges. VPD says it won’t release the man’s name unless charges are laid.

Sgt. Steve Addison told CTV News that the VPD is recommending charges for assaulting police and paramedics, possession of a weapon and breaching bail conditions.

“He’s a man who, at the time of his arrest, was out on bail for another violent crime,” said Addison. “He was wanted B.C.-wide for theft out of Nanaimo.”

Troy Clifford, president of the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., says he’ll let the due process play out but adds that incidents like these are becoming a concerning trend.

“We definitely are seeing a marked increase in violence towards paramedics,” said Clifford. “These are high profile incidents but every day we see situations with violence, and abuse of paramedics is on a rise.”

Addison says the man is expected to appear in court on Feb. 22 at 9 a.m., when police anticipate he will be charged.