Vancouver police seize weapons, make multiple arrests in DTES
Posted February 21, 2023 1:20 pm.
Last Updated February 21, 2023 1:21 pm.
Police in Vancouver say they made multiple arrests and seized numerous weapons over the weekend in the Downtown Eastside.
On Saturday morning, police say officers in the area of East Hastings Street and Columbia Street witnessed a man “commit a bylaw offence.”
According to the VPD, the man was arrested after a short chase, with a handgun recovered. A 25-year-old man has been charged with possession of a firearm in relation to the incident.
#VPDNews Vancouver Police have made multiple arrests following a volatile weekend in the Downtown Eastside, which saw officers seize loaded guns, bear spray, and other dangerous weapons.
Media Release: https://t.co/8DsFOwMe7A pic.twitter.com/7vuSJfb1ES
— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) February 21, 2023
In another incident early on Sunday, police say officers spotted “three men in balaclavas jay-walking” near Abbott Street and West Hastings Street. As police went to issue a ticket, the VPD says officers found one of the men was carrying a loaded gun, while the two others were found with knives and bear spray. Police say a 22-year-old man is facing two firearm-related charges.
Meanwhile, that same day, a woman in her 30s was bear-sprayed outside the Carnegie Centre at Main Street and East Hastings Street, police say. A suspect was traced back to a tent near the Patricia Hotel, police claim, where two men were arrested. During the arrest, police say a sawed-off shotgun was found.
The woman who was bear sprayed was not seriously hurt, the VPD adds.
Then, on Tuesday morning, police say officers stopped a man who “was riding his bike recklessly through traffic and on the sidewalk” on East Hastings Street. Police say when he was stopped, a “cache of weapons,” including a gun, machete, bear spray, a baton, and ammunition, was found. Police add the man was not supposed to be in the area due to bail conditions.
Read More: Suspect charged for shooting on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside
The four incidents are in addition to a shooting in broad daylight on Sunday in the Downtown Eastside that sent one person to the hospital. A suspect has since been arrested and charged in relation to the shooting.
Police have not said if any of the aforementioned incidents are related to one another.
The VPD is asking anyone with information to call police or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
