VANCOUVER – Dramatic video has now been posted to YouTube of a Vancouver Police takedown in Pacific Centre.
The suspect was surrounded by officers near a chocolate shop in the mall on Sunday and it was packed with shoppers at the time. Police kept their weapons trained on the man as they tried to figure out whether he had a weapon.
The VPD says the man called 9-1-1 saying he wanted to kill a police officer. He was arrested under the Mental Health Act.
It’s not clear if the man had any means of following through on his threats and Vancouver Police are not commenting on whether charges are likely in the incident.
“We have to deal with the situation with the limited information our officers have, which is an individual threatening to kill police officers,” says Cst. Brian Montague from the Vancouver Police. “We don’t know if he has the ability to do that, we don’t know if he has the intent to do that, but we have to find him and deal with him before he finds a police officer and does something harmful.”
“Until we locate him and speak with him, we don’t know what his real intention is.”
Cadillac Fairview, which provides the security for the mall, says in a statement “the safety and security of our guests, tenants and staff is Pacific Centre’s top priority. For this reason, our security team maintains regular contact with local law enforcement personnel, and conducts regular training exercises that emphasize emergency preparedness.”
“As a matter of policy, Pacific Centre does not disclose details of its internal security protocols.”
NOTE: The person who shot the video has asked that his name no longer be published out of concern for his safety.
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