Vancouver police have released security footage of the suspects accused of smashing the 2010 Olympic Cauldron last weekend, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
The footage shows two people approaching the iconic structure in Jack Poole Plaza shortly after 3:30 a.m. on Oct. 1. According to police, the pair was in the plaza for about 12 minutes, then left and returned 30 minutes later with a tool.
One of them can be seen approaching the base of the cauldron and striking it repeatedly, while the other appears to pull out a camera to record. They fled shortly afterward.
“The video of the two suspects destroying a piece of Vancouver Olympic history is maddening,” said Const. Jason Doucette in a Tuesday news release.
“And now that we’ve reviewed the footage, it’s obvious this was planned and deliberate.”
The cauldron was built by Terasen Gas, now called FortisBC, and was first lit during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games by Wayne Gretzky.
After the weekend smashing, the glass and lights at the base of one of its columns were shattered. Police have estimated the damage to be in the range of $10,000.
“These two will likely use the video for some sort of bragging rights, and when they do, we hope their friends will do the right thing and call police,” Doucette added.
Anyone with information about the incident can contact Vancouver police or Crime Stoppers.