Police allege a man assaulted an officer when they intervened in 'large fight' at a popular Vancouver beach
Police officers in Vancouver say they responded to a “large fight and a possible assault” at English Bay on Friday evening, and a person who witnessed the incident is accusing the police of racism.
One officer was sent to hospital with non life-threatening injuries and a man was arrested after police intervened in the fight which they say included 10 people.
“The officers tried to disperse the crowd, but one of the aggressors refused to leave,” says Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Const. Steve Addison in an email to CTV News Vancouver.
Video of portions of the incident, shared with CTV News Vancouver, shows three officers wielding batons, trying to gain physical control over a young Black man. They eventually handcuff and pin him to the ground. Another young man, who is white, can be seen trying to physically intervene in the arrest, but police appear to fend him off.
A person who witnessed the incident, and who said she is friends with the man who was arrested, told CTV News Vancouver that her friend had himself been trying to break up a fight.
“He broke up the fight, he didn’t do anything wrong and they’re over here arresting him and doing nothing to the white guy and it’s really messed up,” said Saina Rezaei.
She accused the police of racism, saying the cops didn’t seem to care about a white man who’d been involved in the fight.
“They don’t treat people equally, they're being racist for no reason,” she said.
The police denied the accusation. Addison alleged that eyewitnesses had told police that the man they arrested was “an aggressor” and that they “told the officers they felt unsafe.”
“What happened last night was the direct result of this man's assaultive behavior towards police and the public. It had nothing to do with race, and it is irresponsible to suggest otherwise,” Addison said.
“He became hostile, began causing a disturbance, assaulted at least one of our officers, and resisted arrest,” he said.
Local resident Susan Cunningham shot video of the arrest on her phone.
“As soon as I saw police with a young man in custody I started filming,” she said. “They were kind of trying to restrain the crowds as they (members of the crowd) were getting right in their face, shouting, ‘What is your name?’ It was a very tense situation.”
She believes police did “quite well in restraining themselves,” given how hostile the crowd was.
“I was actually worried about this crowd becoming more of a mob and worried about the safety of everyone involved because it seemed like this was ready to ignite,” she said. “Just an unruly situation and I think police did their very best to restrain things.”
Officers say they had to deal with a “large and hostile crowd” and that “other police officers were called in to keep the crowd back so the officers could safely do their jobs.”
“The suspect, a North Vancouver man in his 20s, was arrested and taken to jail. Multiple charges will be recommended,” Addison said.
Police say they also handcuffed and detained several other people.
“They were released a short time later after they had calmed down and agreed to leave the area,” Addison said. “The original incident remains under investigation.”
Police did not specify whether the man they arrested was injured, but say that two officers got cuts and bruises and “will likely be sore for a few days.” Another was sent to hospital, but is expected to make a full recovery.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.