Police arrest man accused of pointing replica gun at people in Downtown Eastside

Vancouver police have arrested a man accused of pointing an imitation gun at two people in the city’s Downtown Eastside.

Police say the man first targeted two women exiting a ride-share vehicle near Powell Street and Heatly Avenue around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.

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In a media release, police said the suspect pointed the gun at one of the women’s heads and said something about her being a police officer.

The women, who weren’t police, got away from the man and called 911.

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“Obviously this is terrifying. These two women minding their own business had this man not known to them come up and point what appeared to be a firearm,” Const. Tania Visintin said.

“This is absolutely frightening but thanks to their quick thinking they were able to call our officers immediately.”

Police say the suspect then assaulted and pointed the gun at a man sitting at a nearby bus stop.

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Officers flooded the area and arrested the suspect near Hastings and Gore streets around 3:45 p.m.

The man has since been charged with two counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of using an imitation firearm in the commission of an offence and one count of assault.

He remains in custody pending a court appearance.