Vancouver police use bean bag gun on man who allegedly chased teens with a knife

A man allegedly chased teens with a knife at Seaforth Peace Park, resulting in Vancouver police deploying a beanbag shotgun and eventually arresting him.

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) says the 16-year-old victim called in the “random attack” on Sunday around noon.

Officers arrived at the scene and eventually arrested a 54-year-old man — but not without a fight.

“We gave him commands, he didn’t comply with those commands, he didn’t surrender to the police. As a result of that, we did deploy a beanbag shotgun, which is a less than lethal tool we carry which deploys a bean bag round,” said Sgt. Steve Addison.

(CityNews Image)

Word of the knife chase has left some who live in the area on edge.

“I might be a little hesitant to walk alone. You never know, it could be you,” one local said.

“It’s sad, what it’s becoming, because it is more and more frequent. And I find myself, even someone that is usually seeing the good in everyone, and I still am that way, I find myself just being more aware now and more alert every time someone comes closer,” said another.

The suspect has since been charged with assault with a weapon, assaulting a police officer, and possession of a weapon.

“This one was particularly concerning because [of] where it happened, when it happened, and the fact that the victim was a 16-year-old boy,” Addison added.

The Independent Investigations Office has confirmed it isn’t investigating the VPD’s decision to use the bean bag gun.