Police defend arrest of man in front of his toddler in viral Vancouver video

Vancouver police are adamant officers did “nothing wrong” during the arrest of a man in a vehicle with his toddler inside, as bystanders yelled at officers and filmed the encounter.

Two video clips were posted to Twitter on Tuesday afternoon shortly after the incident in East Vancouver. In them a man can be seen screaming that his son is in the car and asking what VPD officers are arresting him.

As officer pull him out of a vehicle in the Trout Lake parking lot, the man struggles with police. Onlookers can be heard gasping.

“What are you doing to him, buddy?” one asks, as a rear door opens and a small child is seen and heard sobbing.

Wednesday morning Vancouver police told reporters that the man in the video “is someone we've dealt with a number of times, someone who's been the subject of a number of court orders and previous police investigations.” A spokesperson also said the man was being arrested for breaching court orders to stay away from a former partner.

“Initially they did not realize there was a child present,” said Sgt. Steve Addison. “We don’t ever want to have a situation where we're having to arrest a parent in front of their child. It's heartbreaking to see that child getting out of the car, crying and upset. Our officers did their best to resolve the situation quickly.”

As recently as May, Addison said officers had dealt with the man in a situation where “he barricaded himself in a house for an extended period of time that required emergency response team, police negotiators, and a warrant issued by a judge to go in and make the arrest.” He also said that there were other issues that led police to be concerned the man may barricade himself in the vehicle with a child.

WHAT COURT RECORDS SHOW

The police file number for the incident leads to a public Court Services Online entry for Jordan Titchener, who was charged with wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer in Vancouver on Tuesday.

Records also show two charges for criminal harassment. 

CTV News has obtained the charge sheet filed with a Justice of the Peace Wednesday morning. It outlines the first harassment count, related to a complainant alleging she was harassed and feared for her safety from May 16 to May 30. The second count alleges the harassment continued from that time to Oct 11. The third count is for that day, leading to the new charge of Titchener wilfully obstructing a peace officer.

Titcherner’s lawyer responded to a request with an emailed statement Wednesday afternoon, after he was granted bail.

“Mr. Titchener maintains his innocence and plans to vigorously defend himself against these charges,” wrote Brent Anderson. “I would ask anyone who witnessed his arrest to contact me."

WHAT THE VIDEO SHOWS

Titchener can be heard repeatedly asking VPD why they are arresting him and on several times they repeat that he was in breach of his conditions and that he has to stay away from his wife.

“I can't see my wife? I have two children,” he says at one point. “I haven't texted my wife, I have proof look at my phone.”

He also claimed he was reading a book after picking up his child from daycare and to “leave him alone.”

Addison claimed that at first officers didn’t realize anyone was in the car, but when Titchner got out of the vehicle they saw him and moved in for an arrest.

When CTV News asked if the level of force and conduct of the officers would be acceptable in future encounters, Addison was adamant.

“Absolutely textbook,” the sergeant replied. “I wouldn’t have done it differently myself.