Man charged after 2 Vancouver police officers set on fire in Downtown Eastside
Attack renews calls for bail reform and raises concerns about rising violence in the area
A 40-year-old man has been charged after two police officers were set on fire in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.
The B.C. Prosecution Service has approved one count of assaulting a police officer and one count of obstructing a police officer against the accused, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) said in a statement Saturday.
According to the VPD, the officers were on foot patrol as part of their Task Force Barrage initiative aimed at addressing violent crime in the Downtown Eastside, when they encountered the man jaywalking.
Police say the man, who was wanted on a B.C.-wide warrant for 10 separate offences, ran from officers when they attempted to arrest him. That's when it's alleged he used a flammable substance to set the officers' uniforms on fire, then escaped.
The officers put the fire out themselves while other police nearby arrested the 40-year-old.
One officer was treated by paramedics and is currently recovering at home, say police, and the second officer was not injured.
The VPD says the suspect also sustained burns and required treatment.
'It's intolerable. It's horrific.'
Vancouver city councillor Brian Montague, a former police officer who served for over 28 years, called the attack "intolerable" and "horrific," and is calling on the federal government to make bail reforms that will keep repeat and violent offenders off the streets.
"There are individuals who deserve bail, there are individuals who we should be looking after whether it's for their mental health or drug disorders," Montague told CBC News. "And then there are people who should be in jail, yet we continue to see them being released into the public to commit violent offences."
Reflecting on his own experience in law enforcement, Montague said the risks faced by officers are escalating.
"I've had people try and shoot me and I've been slashed with razor blades and all kinds of things ... it takes its toll," he said. "The human body and mind is only so resilient."
Police say more than 35 VPD officers have been assaulted while on duty so far this year, a 25 per cent increase over the same period last year.
Downtown Eastside community activist Sarah Blyth said that while public safety efforts in the neighbourhood are necessary, they must also consider the needs of vulnerable residents.
"Everybody wants the community to be more safe," said Blyth. "There have been a lot of safety issues in the Downtown Eastside that really can only be addressed by the VPD."
"We have to make sure that the vulnerable people are being heard as well and are being left alone and not targeted in this situation."
Police say the suspect remains in custody, and online court records show he is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on April 17.
With files from CBC's Maurice Katz and The Canadian Press