Tesla driver arrested trying to drive off undocked BC Ferries vessel: RCMP

A video circulating online shows a bizarre and violent incident — the second on a BC Ferries vessel destined for Victoria over the weekend.

The North Saanich RCMP says a Tesla driver was arrested during a Queen of Cumberland sailing to Swartz Bay from the Southern Gulf Islands on Canada Day.

The suspect is accused of erratic driving and attempting to drive off the ferry deck before it docked.

Mounties say the incident was reported around 11:30 p.m. on July 1.

Video taken from an upper deck of the ferry shows a person circling a white Tesla, briefly interacting with waiting police officers, and then appearing to lock himself inside the vehicle. Officers can be seen forcibly removing and arresting the person.

The person in the video appears to be wearing only a shirt, socks, and underwear.

Drunk guy with no pants tries to drive off gulf island ferry canada day.
byu/Puzzleheaded_Debt727 inVictoriaBC

Police say the suspect now faces two counts of mischief, and one count each of assault with a weapon, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and obstruction.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP at 250-656-3931.

Meanwhile, Mounties say a man is facing charges related to an incident that happened one day before.

Officials say the suspect, a passenger, was on one of the vehicle decks on the Spirit of British Columbia departing from Tsawwassen on the morning of June 28 when the crew was reminding passengers that they needed to vacate their vehicles and head up to the passenger decks due to Transport Canada regulations.

The BC Ferry and Marine Workers Union alleges the man became physically violent with a deckhand who called a second officer for backup. When all seemed calm, he suddenly ran across the vehicle deck and up the stairs towards the ferry’s cafeteria. The union says the man jumped over a counter of food and landed on his back. When the second officer found him, the man allegedly kicked the officer, who eventually caught his foot. That’s when the man allegedly spun and bit the officer on the arm.

Finally, more staff were able to subdue the suspect until the vehicle docked in Victoria, and the injured second officer was taken to hospital for assessment.

In an update Wednesday, the Sidney North Saanich RCMP says the suspect was arrested without further incident and has since been released on restrictive conditions.

Details are limited, but Mounties say he is facing two counts of assault and one count of mischief.

In a statement, BC Ferries says the two incidents are concerning and highlight the challenging situations its crews can face.

“Our teams work hard to provide a safe, respectful, and welcoming experience for all, and they deserve to be treated with courtesy and care.”

The service announced an internal review to assess the incidents and explore additional safety measures.

—With files from David Nadalini and Emma Crawford

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article described the first incident as taking place on June 30. In fact, it happened on June 28.