Metro Vancouver Transit Police officer allegedly punched, slashed at with knife
Posted April 10, 2023 3:17 pm.
Last Updated April 10, 2023 3:23 pm.
The Metro Vancouver Transit Police says an officer is recovering from minor injuries sustained during an arrest in Burnaby early Monday morning.
The police agency says just after midnight, officers were called for reports of a man “acting erratically” on the Millenium Line SkyTrain, allegedly assaulting passengers “without provocation.”
Const. Amanda Steed says officers arrived at Lougheed Station to speak with the man. When they approached him, she says he punched an officer in the face before running off toward the intersection of Lougheed Highway and Austin Avenue.
“Police pursued on foot and when they caught up with the suspect near the intersection, during that interaction with police, he produced a knife and attempted to slash the officer across the body,” she told CityNews.
“Luckily for the officer, she was wearing a heavy winter patrol jacket and the knife only slashed the jacket open and didn’t make contact with her body.”
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After the attempted slashing, Steed says the officer unsuccessfully used a conducted energy weapon, also known as a taser. When that didn’t work, she says the officer fired one shot from her gun which did not hit anyone.
The man was eventually arrested and taken to the hospital for a psychological assessment.
Steed says the officer involved is physically okay, but notes the incident has likely taken a mental toll.
“When you put on your uniform and you’re a police officer, you always think there is a possibility something like this may happen. This is what we sign up for. But when it actually happens, it’s a lot to process. It’s a lot to mentally go over in your head,” she told CityNews.
Steed adds the passengers on the SkyTrain were not physically injured.
She says one charge of assaulting a peace officer is being recommended against the suspect, along with two counts of assault.
