Woman charged for assaulting police officer during DTES tent removal
Vancouver police say a woman has been charged for assaulting an officer near the tent encampment on East Hastings Street Tuesday, and several other people are under investigation.
The charge of assault with a weapon against 44-year-old Alene West stems from an altercation between police and members of the public during the city's attempts to remove tents from the street.
The Vancouver Police Department says officers were called to the area of Main and Hastings streets by staff at the Carnegie Centre, who reported that a man was behaving violently inside.
The VPD says officers were present – but not involved in – the tent removal efforts. While they were responding to the Carnegie Centre call, according to police, officers were "surrounded and assaulted" by a crowd that had gathered to observe the tent removal.
Seven people were arrested, including three who were "temporarily detained at jail for breaching the peace," police said. Three others – including the alleged perpetrator of the Carnegie Centre violence – are expected to appear in court at a later date, according to the VPD.
Last month, Vancouver's fire chief ordered the dismantling of the tent city set up on sidewalks on Hastings Street between Gore Avenue and Abbott Street, saying the move was necessary to avoid a potentially devastating situation if a fire were to break out.
Efforts to remove the tents were delayed while the city sought a solution to allow tent city residents to store their belongings, but began in earnest this week.
The city has said it expects the enforcement of the fire chief's order to take weeks, and BC Housing says it has told the city it does not have "large numbers of new spaces" available on short notice for the people who have been living in the tents.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.