Vancouver Police have arrested a 42-year-old man after bear spray incidents, including alleged thefts, assaults and spraying police during a stop in Kits Point on Thursday.
The Story
Vancouver Police Department officers have arrested a 42-year-old man, Jonathan Laberge-Labrecque, following a series of bear spray incidents and alleged thefts in the Kits Point area that began Thursday afternoon.
According to VPD, officers were first called shortly after 1 p.m. when a bear spray can was reported stolen from a vehicle in the 1900-block of Ogden. Police said that when the vehicle owner confronted the suspect, the man allegedly deployed bear spray and then left the area.
About 10 minutes later, a second victim reported that the same man approached a work vehicle nearby. VPD said that after being confronted, the suspect allegedly sprayed the victim with bear spray, grabbed the victim’s cellphone and threw it before leaving.
Police then said the suspect allegedly approached a woman, pointed bear spray at her and demanded a ride or access to her vehicle. Officers arrived in the area and located the suspect, VPD said.
During the response, VPD stated that the man refused to comply with directions and allegedly sprayed bear spray multiple times at officers before being taken into custody. Police said the suspect remains in custody and is awaiting a bail hearing.
VPD said Laberge-Labrecque has been charged with four offences, including one count of theft under $5,000, one count of robbery, and two counts of assault with a weapon. Police also reported three counts of assault with a weapon on a peace officer, reflecting allegations that bear spray was used against officers when they attempted to take him into custody.
The arrest caps a sequence of closely spaced alleged incidents in Kits Point that led to an escalation from alleged theft and assaults of multiple victims to the involvement of responding officers, underscoring the risks posed by spray weapons in public spaces and during police interactions.
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