The level of violence Vancouver police officers say they are dealing with on a regular basis is once again in the spotlight following a tweet from Deputy Chief Howard Chow.
He says that around 7 p.m. Wednesday, officers were called to the Downtown Eastside, in the area of Columbia and Keefer Streets, after reports of a victim who was bear sprayed and struck multiple times with a hatchet.
Vancouver police say the officers struggled to take the suspect into custody as he was “very combative.”
Chow says during the arrest one officer was punched and a second, who is 6 feet tall and 200 pounds, was slammed into the sidewalk on his back.
Police say the man continued to resist arrest, even when additional units came to help. He was eventually Tasered, which allowed the officers to take him into custody.
The man is still waiting for disposition for charges for assaulting a police officer and other weapons-related offences.