beyond the callc e l e b r a t i n g o u t s t a n d i n g a c h i e v e m e n t s o f t h e m e n a n d w o m e n o f t h e v p d

v a n c o u v e r p o l i c e d e p a r t m e n t v o l . 1 0 | j a n u a r y 8 , 2 0 1 4

v p d.c a

It was the first time in my 30-year

career that I thought it was inevitable we

were going to have to take a life. We were

going to try everything we could to save

him, but only if he would let us.”

Ten-Hour STand-off wiTH armed man STrainS reSourceS and endurance

page

2 | b e y o n d t h e c a l l | j a n u a r y 8 , 2 0 1 4

police Rescue people from a burning building, Including the person Who Started itFoR the 30 oR 40 people WoRkIng at the International Longshoremen’s Union Hall on April 13, 2013, their lunch hour was shaping up to be pretty much like any other day. Then it changed.

An angry ex-employee had just slit his wrists outside the building and had entered the hall, holding the knife to his own throat. He appeared to be hunting for specific union members. Several callers told police they were hiding in offices as the man set fire to some furniture. When police arrived, the building was filling with smoke.

“We saw people coming outside and smoke coming out the windows,” said Constable Michelle Allen. “Everybody was supposed to be outside, but I looked up and saw someone on the second floor.”

The officers who were first on the scene ignored the threat to their own safety, entered the building and tried to follow a blood trail through the chaos of burning furniture and broken glass.

“We went down the hallway that was full of smoke, banging on doors and checking all the rooms. When we turned around, the hallway had filled with thick black smoke. We had to get down and feel our way along.”

Meanwhile, officers outside the building found a blood-covered window and could see the man, bleeding from his arms, adding more items to the fire. The team inside the building fought through the smoke-filled hallways in heat so intense it was difficult to breathe. They found the man, who was still armed, and rushed him out of the building, kicking and spitting.

“The hallway had filled so quickly with thick black smoke that now I know how people get lost so quickly in fires and die. I was glad that nobody got hurt and everybody got out.”

For their professional and immediate action in the face of imminent danger, the following officers were awarded the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation: Sergeant Dennis Scally, Acting Sergeants Alex Parker and Kyle Marynick, and Constables Pablo Cian, Geoff Gaudette, Jennifer Daniel, Courtney Srigley, and Michelle Allen. g

a compassionate cop Who loves to capture criminals

FoR Some, the phrase “Beyond the Call” might just be words on a police car, but for Constable Colleen McKitrick, they describe an outstanding level of service that she has delivered on every shift she has worked with the VPD for the past 16 years.

There are many characteristics of an outstanding police officer. They excel at policing by showing great skill in pursuing and capturing criminals. They also demonstrate excellence in leadership, serving as mentors and positive role models for newer officers, and they show great compassion in the service they provide to the community. Constable McKitrick embodies all of those characteristics.

She is an exceptional investigator who routinely exceeds the team average for arrests and reports. As a police negotiator, she has amassed impressive statistics. Since 2009, she has been the primary negotiator on 105 calls and been the secondary negotiator 26 times.

For new recruits, she is one of the most sought after field trainers in the VPD.

Her compassion for those she serves in the performance of her duty is well known. In one case, her quick reflexes and sheer willpower and determination kept a woman from plunging to her death, even though the woman weighed 280 pounds and tried to pull Constable McKitrick over a railing with her. Despite this, she stayed with the woman while she was transported to hospital, and attempted to develop rapport.

In another case, Constable McKitrick was assigned to find two missing 12-year-old girls who had a suicide pact. She stuck with the case for weeks, and through her diligence discovered that 23 other children were involved in the pact. None of the children followed through.

For sustaining the highest levels of service during her 16 years with the VPD, Constable Colleen McKitrick was awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation. g

police Save the life of a man Intent on ending his

When a peRSon IS Intent on endIng his life, police are often called to spoil their plans.

On September 5, 2012, Constables Kyle Nishi and Chad Machuik rushed to a downtown rooming house where a man was slashing his wrists. They were greeted by an emotional witness who was yelling at them that the man was cutting himself.

“It was the manager who met us at the front door. He was very intense,” said Constable Machuik.

“We put on our blue gloves because we knew this was going to be serious.”

Not waiting for cover units, they climbed the stairs. Constable Nishi brought his beanbag shotgun.

They found the man in his room bleeding heavily, but instead of complying with their commands, he picked up his knife and started sawing at his wrists again, all the while screaming obscenities. In order to stop the man from causing himself more harm or even killing himself, Constable Nishi fired the beanbag shotgun.

The first round caused the man to stand up, and then he came at them with the knife. The constable fired two more rounds but the man kept coming, now throwing the knife at them.

“Sometimes people are very goal oriented and then don’t feel the impact of the beanbag gun.”

The fourth round caused the man to fall down, allowing them to safely take him into custody.

“At the time, you don’t think about the dangers involved, you just do what you are trained to do,” said Constable Machuik.

Emotional residents gathered by the room as word had quickly spread through the building that police had “shot” one of their neighbours. The constables were firm but respectful as they maintained their level of professionalism despite the stressful environment.

For their calm and decisive actions that saved the life of a suicidal man, Constables Kyle Nishi and Chad Machuik were awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation. g

Left to right: Sergeant Dennis Scally, Constable Michelle Allen, Acting Sergeant Kyle Marynick, Alex Parker and Constable Geoff Gaudette.

Constable Colleen McKitrick.

Constables Chad Machuik and Kyle Nishi.

b e y o n d t h e c a l l | j a n u a r y 8 , 2 0 1 4 | 3

project Rubicon brings down criminals preying on the most Vulnerable VictimslIFe In VancouVeR’S doWntoWn eaStSIde can be challenging, but for marginalized women plagued by violent drug dealers it can be a struggle just to survive.

Project Rubicon had a simple mandate: Find the criminals who were preying on the most vulnerable people in that community and put them out of business.

For six months starting in December 2010, an investigative team used both traditional and innovative techniques to identify, arrest and prosecute 24 suspects for 52 criminal charges.

Two of the offenders were sexual predators who were preying on women battling drug addiction and mental illness. In one case, a man was drugging women and videotaping his

sexual assaults. The second offender plied underage victims with alcohol after which he sexually assaulted them.

Project Rubicon also resulted in the seizure of significant amounts of drugs, numerous firearms and tainted heroin that was believed to be responsible for several overdoses in the area.

For making the Downtown Eastside a safer community, the following members of Project Rubicon were awarded the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation: Inspector Brad Desmarais, Sergeant Dale Weidman and Detective Constables Ryan Campbell, Anton Schamberger, Chris Donnelly, Shiv Gill, Chris Berda and Phil Heard. g

Foot chase turns Vicious, but officer prevailsa VIolent Foot chaSe can be one of the most exciting parts of legendary movies and cop shows. It can also be part of just another day for Constable Peter Andersen.

On March 6, 2013, in the early afternoon, near the entrance to Stanley Park, an emotionally disturbed person hit a random 71-year-old man. When Constable Andersen approached this much larger attacker, he sprinted at full speed for West Georgia Street and the chase was on.

“I was driving the wagon so I couldn’t turn it around,” said Constable Andersen. “So I had to jump out and run after him.”

Both men dodged cars that were travelling at speeds up to 70 kmh.

When Constable Andersen reached the centre of West Georgia Street, still hot in pursuit, he realized he was about to be hit by a car. He turned, faced the vehicle and jumped up as it hit him. He rolled off the hood onto the ground and once more back to the chase.

As he closed in on the suspect, the man turned without warning and punched Andersen in the side of the head. Still in pursuit, the constable calmly radioed in his position, but the suspect attacked him again, kicking

and punching. Determined to flee, the man picked up a large rock and threw it, striking Andersen squarely in the face.

The constable never gave up, tackling the man a short distance away.

“The fight was on and in my earpiece I could hear another officer calling the fight. I kept wondering why he wasn’t stepping in to help me and then I realized the voice was coming from Air One up above.”

Despite suffering vicious blows to the face and head, he held onto the man until back-up arrived.

“I could hear sirens coming. It was the best sound in the world. It was such a relief.”

But Constable Andersen’s ordeal was not over. Blood from the suspect’s mouth had dripped into the constable’s mouth during the struggle, which meant he had to endure an anti-viral cocktail to ward off any possible disease.

“I could taste blood in my mouth and I knew it wasn’t mine. I had to take handfuls of pills for days.”

For the exceptional and professional performance of his duties in the face of danger and injury, Constable Peter Andersen was awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation. g

Constable Peter Andersen.

Left to right: Constables Ryan Campbell, Anton Schamberger, Chris Berda, Shiv Gill, Sergeant Dale Weidman and Constable Chris Donnelly.

4 | b e y o n d t h e c a l l | j a n u a r y 8 , 2 0 1 4

beyond the call is a publication produced by the men and women of the Vancouver Police Department’s Community & Public affairs Section. For more information, e-mail media@vpd.ca. To download a copy of Beyond the Call, go to vpd.ca.

edItIng Laurel KennedydeSIgn Sharm Thiagarajah photogRaphy Martin DeepRoductIon aSSIStant Georgina SpenceredItoRIal conSultantS Sergeant randy Fincham and Constable Brian Montague

the longeR an aRmed Stand-oFF goeS on, the greater the chance that someone will be seriously injured or killed.

At approximately 2:00 a.m. on the morning of October 15, 2012, a deranged and suicidal male, armed with a handgun, walked into the lobby of the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel with the intention of dying in a confrontation with the police.

“I was in bed when I got the call,” said Inspector Loris Zuccato, who as a critical incident commander would take charge. “I was there in 15 minutes.”

For the next ten hours, the man would challenge and confront the police as he was able to wander through three floors of the hotel lobby, all the while brandishing his handgun and at times threatening suicide and pointing the gun at his head.

Based on the seriousness of this incident and the risk to the public, there were many police officers who rushed to the scene to set up containment on this man, and to prevent him gaining access to the rest of the hotel. Without fear for their own safety, and while making the safety of the staff and hotel guests their top priority, these officers were determined to save this man’s life – if he would let them.

“It was very difficult in the first four hours because we had no idea who he was and he wouldn’t tell us. At one point he said he was Santa Claus.”

This was not going to be easy for any of the officers involved. For the most part, the suspect was refusing to speak with negotiators, which would have allowed them to build the crucial rapport they desired. To make things even worse, the area the suspect had access to in the hotel lobby was massive, making it difficult for officers to contain him or allow them an opportunity for a break or relief.

“We got a break when an E-Comm operator, Farhad Velji, remembered another call and was able to tie this man to it. We then figured out his identity and got a warrant to search his apartment.”

What they found was chilling.

“There was an eight-page suicide note and he had placed notes on all his belongings with names of who they should go to. He had no intention of coming out of this alive.”

Throughout this long ordeal, these officers never gave up hope, as the efforts at negotiations dragged on for many hours and it seemed likely that the situation would end in tragedy.

“It was the first time in my 30-year career that I thought it was inevitable we were going to have to take a life. We were going to try everything we could to save him, but only if he would let us.”

At one pivotal point, the man tried to walk out of the hotel, refusing to stop or give up his weapon, and the officers threw flash-

ten-hour Stand-off With armed man Strains Resources and endurance

bangs at his feet, which drove him back. Finally, after hours of negotiations, the man agreed to put down his gun and walked towards the officers. When he still did not comply with their commands, the officers utilized a stun grenade and a less lethal projectile to incapacitate him and take him into custody.

“We were lucky. He put the gun down. It was like he was testing us to see how close he could come to being shot. In the end, I felt elation. We made it through. No one was killed, no one was injured.”

The man at the heart of the incident was convicted in court and received a four-year sentence.

For their professionalism and determination to resolve this very challenging and deadly situation peacefully, the following members were awarded the Chief Constable’s Unit Citation: Inspectors Loris Zuccato, Rick Smitas and Joanne Boyle, Sergeants Dennis Scally, Aaron Kazuta, Andrew Chan, Kevin Bernardin, Jana McGuinness and Richard Chalke, Constables Shawn

Hardman, Frank Aquino, Marco Veronesi, Shawn Bollivar, Cam Hemphill, Justin Leung, Scott Brown, Michael Wagar, Ben Wong-Moon, Keith Jordison, Jamie Proust, Sandra Glendinning, Rich Lee, Joel Tuininga, Trevor LeTourneau, Scott Rotherham, Steve Addison, Michael Bal, Desiree Luebkemann, Susan Sharp, Eric Birzneck, Terri-Lynn Clyde, Rich Kent, Dermot O’Boyle, Cinda Michael, David Ballance, Nicole Chan, Stephen Sherwin, Joshua Mawhorter, Rita Khtaria, Wesley Bodnar, Mason Wan, David Young, Nicholas Wong, Michael Tsok, Derek Spink, Ben Ellan, Scott Plummer, Albert Lu, Martin Gusic, Ismail Bhabha, Alen Ivezic, Tyler Dodds, Peter Campbell, Jack Deziel, Graham Edmunds, Blake Chersinoff, Emily Florkow, Bob Sandher, Michael Yaremy, Robert McCaul, Jason Meyer, Jordon Crondahl, Oscar Alvarez De La Portilla, Don Peebles and Zachary Robinson, Detective Constables Stephanie Willoughby, Scott Fisher, Darren Bayne and Lawrence Carlson, Ms. Lisa King, Mr. Farhad Velji and Dr. Randy Mackoff. g

armed man turns a day at the park Into terror

When actIng SeRgeant Tyrone Sideroff and Constable Dan Ames and his police dog Shack arrived at Victoria Park on the afternoon of June 1st, 2013, they were faced with a scene that no police officer ever wants to see.

A crazed man armed with two knives was attacking innocent people in the park and creating havoc. He had already inflicted potentially life-threatening injuries on one victim and was intent on doing more damage to those in the park who were able to disarm him of one large knife, but not his second. To make matters worse, there was now a crowd gathering. They were getting far too close to this violent man and were now in mortal danger.

The two officers, with firearms drawn, ordered the man to drop the knife, but

he refused. If he lunged they would have to fire, but that meant putting children playing in the background in danger. The officers moved around the man to eliminate crossfire issues and put Constable Ames in a position where he could deploy his dog.

A stand-off continued for a short time, but as more officers arrived the man went down on one knee, shielding his hands from sight near his backpack. Fearing that he was going to use his second knife, Constable Ames sent Shack. The incident was over.

For their quick actions and their tactical measured decisions to place the safety of others before their own, Acting Sergeant Tyrone Sideroff and Constable Dan Ames were awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation. g

constables Risk their own Safety Rather than the Safety of otherstheRe aRe tImeS when the most courageous thing you can do is not to pull the trigger.

On the night of November 11, 2011, Constables Sean Streich and Jas Mander had to make a quick decision that could affect the lives of several people, including their own.

An emotionally disturbed man had thrown a rock through a car window for no reason, and later when confronted by the occupants of the car, he pulled a knife on them. When Constables Streich and Mander arrived, the man turned his attention on them, advancing towards them with the knife.

The man was getting so close that he could have easily made a fatal lunge. He ignored all orders to drop the knife and had already been seen lunging at two other people. Constable Mander knew he had to take immediate action to stop this man, who seemed intent on causing grievous harm or death. But as he was about to discharge his firearm, he noticed that there were people standing behind the man. They were in danger of being hit by a stray bullet.

To safeguard those lives, the constables put their own at risk. Constable Streich wrestled the man to the ground and Constable Mander joined in the struggle. The man continued to fight them, even after he was placed in handcuffs.

The officers were able to take the man into custody without injury to themselves or any bystanders, and in the process saved the life of a distraught man whose actions nearly resulted in a lethal force encounter.

For demonstrating the highest standards of police conduct and professionalism while exposing themselves to possible harm or death, Constables Sean Streich and Jas Mander were awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation. g

Constable Sean Streich.

Constable Dan Ames with police dog Shack and Acting Sergeant Tyrone Sideroff.

@VancouverPD VancouverPoliceDepartment

Left to right: Constable Eric Berzneck, Inspector Rick Smitas, Detective Constable Lawrence Carlson, Constables Susan Sharp, Scott Rotherham, Sergeant Richard Chalke, Inspector Loris Zuccato, Constables Sandra Glendinning, Shawn Bollivar, Robert McCaul and Sergeant Andrew Chan.