Probe to review Vancouver rioting

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This article was published 21/06/2011 (5324 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VANCOUVER — The first charges in connection with the June 15 Stanley Cup riot have been laid against two men in a stabbing that was part of the melee, Vancouver police announced Monday.

Charges have been recommended against another six people, ranging from mischief and participation in a riot to assaulting a police officer. None of the suspects have previous criminal histories.

Also on Monday, Premier Christy Clark announced that an independent panel will investigate the riot. It is to report to the province by Aug. 31 and its findings will be made public.

Among other things, the panel will begin by looking at the Stanley Cup riot of 1994, the availability of liquor to the thousands that had gathered in the streets to watch the final game and what needs to be done to avoid a repetition of riots at future public events.

“Shameful acts like those seen around the world demand a tough, independent and critical eye — and that’s exactly what we expect this review to deliver,” said Solicitor General Shirley Bond in a statement.

“It must look back, given the events 17 years before and the many reviews that followed. And it must look forward, to ensure Vancouver reclaims its place on the world stage as a vibrant, safe city in which to celebrate, no matter the nature of the event or the size of the crowd.”

Burnaby, B.C. resident Edgar Ricardo Garcia, 20, has been charged with aggravated assault after two men were stabbed. And Calgary resident Joshua Lyle Evans, 27, has been charged with possessing a weapon dangerous to the public peace in the same incident.

Among the others expected to go to court for their riot conduct are a young man from Ladner, B.C., accused of vandalizing a pickup truck, a 19-year-old accused of looting a purse from the Bay and 17-year-old Nathan Kotylak, the water-polo star accused in trying to set a police car ablaze.

Investigators are working through thousands of photographs and video images from the riot to identify those who committed criminal acts. Sgt. Dale Weidman said the volume of material coming in to police is “overwhelming.”

Vancouver police are urging those who were caught in the act to come forward and turn themselves in.

“If you come in voluntarily you can do so discreetly and at a time that is convenient for you,” police chief Jim Chu said Monday. “If you wait until we find you — and we will find you — we will arrest you in a public manner suitable to the public crimes you have committed.”

By Monday morning, 117 had been arrested — mostly the night of the riot for breach of the peace.

So far about a dozen people have turned themselves in to Vancouver police and three to other police agencies, Chu said.

— Postmedia News