Vancouver police cite troubling trend after 11 officers assaulted over Labour Day weekend

The Vancouver Police Department says 11 of itsofficers are recovering after being injured or assaulted overthe Labour Day weekend.

Sgt.Steve Addison wrote in a statement Wednesday that the officers were injured whileon duty.

"Every police officer understands the dangers and risks associated with their work," Addison wrote.

"However, we're concerned by the number of people who now seem emboldened and feel entitled to assault officers and put their lives at risk."

Addison detailed threeincidents including one involving a21-year-old woman Monday, who was arrested near Knight Street and East 54thAvenuein connection with a stabbing and robbery.

Incidents of note

The woman allegedly spat in anofficer's face and hair while she was being read her Canadian charter rights.Addison said theofficer had to be taken to hospital to assess the risk ofinfectious diseases from the woman's saliva.

That same day, two moreofficers were injured when the brother of a suspect involved in a domestic dispute on Dundas Street tackled one of the officers and elbowed another in the head.

Later Monday, severalofficers were patrolling on Powell Street when they spotted a man who had a B.C.-wide warrant for a violent offence. Three officers wereinjured during the arrest,one of whom required hospitalization and stitches, Addison wrote.

Troubling trend

On Sunday, police responded to a grocery store in Kitsilanowhen staff reported that a man was acting violently. All three officers were hurt, one of whomsuffered cuts and scratches, another hadblood spat on him, and the thirdis now off work with an ankle injury.

Vancouver police say the spate of weekend injuries follows a larger trend of increased violence against police.

The department says between January and July of this year, 108 officers were assaulted in Vancouver, which, itsays, is a 64 per cent increase from 2018.

'Extraordinary circumstances'

Vancouver's Mayor Kennedy Stewartsays these are not ordinary times.

In an interview Monday, Stewartsaidallfront-line workers are facing "extraordinary circumstances" during the pandemic, but he's particularly thankful the police have brought this to the public's attention now.

"Sometimes thestrain of COVID isnot as understood as it should be," he told CBC news Monday.

"This is affecting police, talking tosome firefighters yesterday, talking to health-care workers, all who are facing increasing levels of interaction with the public and often they're, you know, either threatened or assaulted. And that's totally unacceptable.

"That has to stop."