The Labour Day long weekend was apparently a tough and violent one for the Vancouver Police Department (VPD), as nearly a dozen of their officers were injured or assaulted.
The incidents included two officers being spat on and another being tackled to the ground in a separate incident.
Since 2018, there has been a spike in violent incidents involving the VPD.
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On Labour Day, a 21-year-old woman was arrested near Knight Street and 54th Avenue in Vancouver. She allegedly stabbed a man and stole his bike. When VPD attempted to arrest the woman, she spat in the face of one of the arresting officers.
VPD notes that the officer was taken to the hospital due to the potential risk of infectious diseases.
“Policing is a tough job, and every day our front-line officers put their own safety at risk,” said Sergeant Steve Addison. “Unfortunately, we continue to see officers getting hurt while trying to do their jobs and keep others out of harm’s way.”
Another incident occurred on Monday when officers responded to a call from a woman who said her ex-boyfriend threw a rock through her window, threatened her, and then hid in some bushes nearby. The suspect was armed with a knife and attempted to flee the police.
The officers struggled with the suspect while resisting arrest. The suspect’s brother then tackled one of the officers and elbowed a different officer in the head. The officers suffered minor injuries.
Another incident that the VPD highlighted also occurred on Monday when officers attempted to arrest a man who had a BC-wide warrant for a violent offence.
When he saw the officers coming, he fled, and officers were injured during the foot chase. One reported needing stitches.
The final incident occurred on Sunday. A Kitsilano grocery store called police to report a man acting violently and causing a disturbance. A physical confrontation ensued when officers arrived, and three of them were injured. One officer allegedly had blood spat on him, and another is off work due to an ankle injury.
According to the VPD, between January and July, 108 police officers were assaulted in the city, which is a 64% increase from 2018.
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