Two Vancouver Police Officers were set on fire in the Downtown Eastside after attempting to detain a man who was jaywalking.
On Thursday night, both officers were doing foot patrols around East Hastings and Carrall Street.
According to the department, the suspect was wanted for 10 different offences.
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The officers were deployed as part of the recently established VPD Task Force Barage.
As both police officers attempted to nab the suspect, he tried to run away, leading to a pursuit. As the officers were trying to take the suspect into custody, “it’s believed the man used a flammable substance to set the officers’ uniforms on fire, then continued to flee.”
The officers were able to put the fires out themselves. The officers on the scene radioed for assistance. Additional officers were deployed to the area, and the suspect was taken into custody nearby.
In the aftermath of the incident, one of the officers was treated by paramedics and is recovering at home. The second officer did not sustain any physical injuries.
The suspect is a 40-year-old Vancouver man who also received treatment for burns at a hospital. He is currently in jail.
Now, the Vancouver Police Department is recommending multiple charges, including assaulting an officer with a weapon, obstructing a police officer, and breaching a release order.
In addition, the department says that since the beginning of the year, over 35 Vancouver Police Officers have been assaulted while on duty, which marks a 25 per cent increase over the same period last year.