The downtown New Westminster area has seen another violent incident.
On Thursday, Jan. 20 at approximately 1 a.m., the New Westminster Police Department responded to a 911 call about a man with a knife threatening people at the Columbia Street SkyTrain station. When police arrived on scene, they located the suspect outside the Fourth Street SkyTrain entrance, standing in the middle of the road.
Police then blocked the road and contained the scene.
“Police officers provided verbal de-escalation techniques in the hopes the suspect could be safely taken into custody, however, the suspect did not comply,” said a police news release. “After some time, officers used a Conducted Energy Weapon and deployed the ARWEN, which is a less lethal distance option. The suspect was eventually taken into custody with the use of OC spray.”
The Downtown New Westminster Business Improvement Association recently appealed to the police board to take action to stop the deterioration of the downtown.
At its Jan. 18 meeting, the board received several letters from downtown business owners who are concerned about safety and livability issues in the area.
On Tuesday, a brawl at this same location led to four people being assaulted, including the stabbing of two of them.
“This could have been an extremely dangerous situation. Thankfully, officers were able to use their training and experience to resolve this situation safely,” said Sgt. Sanjay Kumar. “The male sustained minor injuries and was assessed at a local area hospital.”
Anyone who witnessed this incident and feels they would benefit from the support of the Victim Assistance Unit can call 604-529-2525 or email [email protected].
