Video surfaces of swarming incident; RCMP say minor assaulted near Surrey school

Surrey Mounties say a minor was assaulted and another arrested in an incident that appeared to be caught on camera last week.

The RCMP confirmed it was called on May 7 at about 9:30 p.m. about a group of young people yelling behind a Cloverdale school on 65 Avenue near 185 Street. While they didn't identify the school, Hillcrest Elementary is in that area.

Police said when they arrived, the group had already dispersed. However, they found "a youth victim who had been assaulted by other youths."

A video shared on social media by community awareness group BC Crime Watch appeared to show the incident. The 90-second clip shows what looks like a group of teens on school grounds, yelling profanities at one individual. A few people surround that one person and demand that the victim kiss their shoes, before the video clip ends.

The Vancouver Police Department issued its own statement Tuesday warning of a bullying ritual among teens, which is filmed and sometimes posted online. 

The VPD said the ritual, similar to what was seen in Surrey, involves a group surrounding a victim, "then punching, kicking, and slapping them until they fall to the ground, before forcing them to kiss their attackers’ shoes."

Police said the humiliation from the incident can deter victims from coming forward.

Surrey police confirmed one minor was arrested in the Cloverdale incident and was released pending a future court date.

"The investigation is still ongoing, but it appears parties were known to each other," the RCMP said.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Lisa Steacy