A man is suing the Vancouver Police Department over an alleged wrongful arrest and beating in the midst of a Lower Mainland-wide manhunt earlier this year.
Vancouver resident Jason Victor Hernandez is claiming VPD officers used excessive force after mistaking him for Daon Gordon Glasgow, the man wanted at the time for shooting a Transit Police officer at a Surrey SkyTrain station on Jan. 30.
In the notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court on Tuesday, Hernandez claims he was leaving the Metrotown Superstore on Feb. 1 when he was confronted by a group of VPD officers, some with weapons drawn, who told him to surrender.
WATCH: (Aired Feb. 4) New details about SkyTrain shooting suspect Daon Glasgow
“Mr. Hernandez, who was not armed with anything other than shopping bags, did not resist in any fashion beyond expressing his belief that the police were targeting the wrong individual,” the lawsuit reads.
Hernandez claims that despite following the officers’ orders, six of the officers “repeatedly struck” him while placing him under arrest, leaving him with “several broken ribs,” a concussion and injuries to his face and body.
The six officers are listed as additional defendants, but only identified as “John Does.”
After he was handcuffed and told he was suspected of being Glasgow, Hernandez claims he offered to show identification that would prove police had the wrong man, which officers “refused to check.”
The lawsuit calls the detention “unlawful” and alleges it caused Hernandez “prolonged emotional distress.”
WATCH: (Aired Feb. 3) Manhunt for SkyTrain shooting suspect ends
Hernandez claims VPD members apologized to him and offered to get a room for him at a nearby hotel, after Hernandez explained the arrest forced him to miss an appointment to move into a new residence.
But Hernandez claims the reservation was never made, and he had to spend the night in a hotel lobby while waiting for VPD to follow through on their offer.
“This callous treatment heightened Mr. Hernandez’ distress with the whole series of events,” the suit claims.
Hernandez claims his rights were violated by officers in their “zeal to apprehend” Glasgow, who had been identified the previous day for shooting Const. Josh Harms in both his arms on the Scott Road SkyTrain station platform.
- Man charged in surfer deaths told girlfriend he killed ‘3 gringos,’ court hears
- Drone used to smuggle $250,000 worth of contraband into N.B. prison, police say
- Quebec man pleads guilty in hit and run that killed 7-year-old Ukrainian girl
- Man accused of killing 2 children at Laval daycare to stand trial in April 2025
Glasgow was arrested on Feb. 3 at a home on the Burnaby-Vancouver boundary, and was charged with attempted murder and weapons violations soon after.
Harms has since recovered from his injuries and returned to desk duty with Transit Police.
Hernandez is seeking damages for pain and suffering from his various injuries, along with special damages for loss of employment opportunity and short-term housing.
He’s also seeking further damages “to punish the defendants for their high-handed treatment of Mr. Hernandez, and to deter the defendants from further inappropriate conduct.”
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Vancouver police have not yet filed a response to the civil claim and would not provide comment Friday.
Comments