Metro Vancouver Transit Police says two men have been charged for allegedly assaulting officers in a pair of unrelated cases.
The first incident happened on July 25, when two transit police officers spotted two men openly drinking liquor at the New Westminster SkyTrain station.
Police confronted the men and allegedly spotted a syringe sticking out of one of their pockets.
When they asked the man to take it out, police said he fled. When officers caught up to him, a struggle ensued in which he allegedly hit one of the police in the head and face.
That officer suffered cuts and bruises to his nose and face along with a disfiguring hand injury, police said.
Transit police spokesperson Anne Drennan said the man, 34-year-old Christopher Anton Skender, was also wanted on warrants for assault with a weapon, theft, possession of a dangerous weapon and possession of stolen property.
He has now also been charged with obstructing a police officer and assault causing bodily harm, and is due back in court on August 23.
Drennan said the case highlights the number of people transit police deal with that are intoxicated or mentally ill, as well as extreme situations where people in distress make it very difficult to read.
“You have to be on high alert at all times and there are situations you will encounter where no matter how alert you are, how well trained you are, you likely will suffer some sort of injury.”
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The other alleged assault took place on August 5, while officers were looking to intercept people with liquor at SkyTrain stations before it made its way down to the Celebration of Light fireworks.
Drennan said a pair of officers saw two men openly drinking beer at Moody Centre Station, and intervened.
When the officers ran a check on the men, they found one man was violating his curfew and a probation order that banned him from possessing alcohol, Drennan said.
When the suspect, 25-year-old Dillon Howard Dinwoodie, was informed he was being arrested for breaking probation he allegedly became violent, Drennan said, lifting one of the officers off the ground, falling on him, and kicking him in the knee and shoulder.
The officer suffered a hyperextension of one knee and cuts and bruises.
Police said they used pepper spray to subdue Dinwoodie – who is now facing charges of assaulting a police officer, obstructing a police officer and breach of probation and is due in court on Friday.
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