Police in New Westminster believe that a large brawl in Pier Park last week was caught on multiple smartphone cameras and are urging for people to do the right thing and turn in the video.
Sgt. Jeff Scott of the New Westminster Police Department said in an interview Thursday it’s believed up to 20 teenagers from Surrey, New Westminster and Burnaby were involved in the brawl.
“We’re still trying to narrow down how they knew each other, because it seems like they went there for the purpose of fighting,” Scott told CTV News over the phone, “So It didn’t seem like it just sort of happened in the heat of the moment.”
Investigators from the city’s Major Crime Unit believe that while the brawl may have started as a fight between two teenagers, it quickly escalated, resulting in one boy taken to hospital.
“The ones involved are believed to be male, in their late teens, between 16 and 17 years old,” said Scott, who added in a news release that officers think several teenagers teamed up against another teen.
Scott said the hospitalized victim had to be treated for a cut, though he could not confirm for sure if a weapon was involved. He’s since been released and is in good condition according to the New Westminster Police Department.
Forensic experts closed Pier Park last Friday as they scoured the area for evidence. The park reopened later that afternoon.
“It looks like a common thread is that a lot of people had their phones out video recording it,” said Scott. “We would like to see if anybody that has any footage would come forward, give us that footage, and help narrow down what happened.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the New Westminster Police Major Crime Unit at 604-525-5411.
