ABOVE: Global News’ John Daly reports on the alleged altercation between a paparazzo and actor Ryan Reynolds in Vancouver.
VANCOUVER — Vancouver Police arrested a paparazzo Sunday who allegedly struck actor Ryan Reynolds with his car in the parking garage of the Shangri-La Hotel on Friday night.
Rik Fedyck, 52, of Richmond, B.C., was released from custody late Monday with a promise to appear April 28.
He told The Province that “Ryan Reynolds was not hit by a car” and insisted reports about the incident are “100 per cent false.”
Earlier in the day, police said they had a suspect in custody and recommended he be charged with intimidation. They did not name the suspect or the alleged victim.
Investigators claim the photographer approached Reynolds in the parking garage of the residential portion of the luxury hotel complex just before 7:00 p.m. and, after what police called “a confrontation,” he drove off and allegedly hit the 38-year-old actor.
Const. Brian Montague said Reynolds suffered only minor injuries to his knee and back.
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Investigators arrested Fedyk after speaking to Reynolds and witnesses and looking at security video supplied by the Shangri-La.
According to the Criminal Code, a person can be found guilty of intimidation if he or she “persistently follows that person” or “besets or watches the place where that person resides, works, carries on business or happens to be.” The maximum sentence is five years in prison.
“I will correct the record down the road,” Fedyck told The Province.
Fedyck owns Vancouver-based PUNKD Images and syndicates his photographs through different agencies. He was also a longtime contributor to CTV’s eTalk.
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In 2010, Fedyck was the subject of a hit and run investigation by Montreal police after actor Kellan Lutz claimed he was struck by a car.
Lutz, who was in Montreal filming Immortals, alleged a car backed into him and then left the scene.
Fedyck was not charged.
In early 2007, Fedyck filed a lawsuit against Denise Richards and Pamela Anderson, accusing the two stars of assault following an incident at the River Rock Casino in Richmond, B.C.
Fedyck said Richards threw laptops belonging to him and fellow photographer Scott Cosman off a balcony after she spotted them taking pictures.
The case was settled in July 2007.
In 2008, Fedyck filed a complaint with police alleging that bodyguards for Jennifer Aniston — who was in Vancouver shooting Love Happens — threatened him and used a racial slur against his girlfriend.
No charges were filed.
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Reynolds, who was born in Vancouver, is currently in the city filming Deadpool, a Marvel comic book movie scheduled for release next year.
The star’s brother Terry is an RCMP officer in Nanaimo and his father Jim is a former police officer.
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