Suspect in Surrey RCMP swarming incident could face immigration consequences

A 22-year-old visitor to Canada is facing immigration consequences for allegedly threatening an RCMP officer during a swarming incident in a Surrey mall parking lot last month.

Police say they notified the Canada Border Services Agency after arresting the man — who is here on a visitor's visa — for intimidation of the justice system and obstructing a police officer in Strawberry Hill.

Const. Sarbjit Sangha said Friday that RCMP have recommended charges against the man to the Crown, but he has been released on conditions in the meantime, pending a court date.

The CBSA said they could not provide a response for privacy reasons to a query about the man's status — which could be threatened if he is found to have violated the terms of his visa.

The arrest comes almost a month after the incident at the Strawberry Hill Plaza.

The incident made its way onto social media through videos that appear to show the officer confronting a member of a crowd of young men, and then rapidly driving away from the parking lot as the group taunt and yell at him.

Sangha said she has spoken about the confrontation frequently on South Asian radio and television stations.

"Their question is related to people who are newcomers to Canada that might not understand the rules and regulations and laws of our country," Sangha told the CBC.

"When you're coming to a new country, whether you're coming here on a visitor's visa or as an international student — however you immigrate to Canada, it is your responsibility to to know those rules and regulations."

'He left that ticket in the air'

Police also sought help from the public Friday in locating two other suspects, both described as South Asian men in their mid- to late-20s.

"The first suspect is described as having a full beard and at the time of the incident, he was wearing a blue turban, and a light coloured shirt with stripes," RCMP said in a news release.

"The second is described as having short black hair and a short groomed black beard. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a black t-shirt with a large white Puma symbol."

Video of the incident appears to show the police officer throwing papers at the young man before leaving. Sangha claimed it was the other way around.

"That is the individual that was served with a violation ticket. That individual refused to take the violation ticket from the officer. When the officer observed the other group coming toward him, he left that ticket in the air toward the individual," he said.

"In this incident, because there were a lot of other things going on, the officer had to leave the area very quickly and that is the reason that ticket was thrown in the direction of the individual."

Sangha said RCMP protocol for lone officers who feel threatened is to remove themselves from a situation as quickly as possible, which she said the officer did.

She said any member of the public who has complaints or concerns about an officer's conduct can lodge a complaint with the RCMP's professional standards unit.