One year later, Vancouver police looking for Stanley Cup rioters
A year after thousands of people tore through the streets of Vancouver following the loss of the Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup final, the city’s Integrated Riot Investigation Team (IRIT) is recommending an additional 82 charges against 25 suspected rioters to the Crown.
Chief Constable Jim Chu said for rioters who think they’ve “gotten away with it … investigators are still conducting active investigations and we expect to recommend charges on a further 100 individuals in the coming months.”
Chu said at the end of the investigation, his team expects to have charged more than 300 people with over 900 criminal charges. To date, the IRIT has recommended 674 charges against 225 suspected rioters.
“We believe this is the greatest number of people charged with a crime arising from one incident in Canadian history,” he said.
So far, almost everyone will be charged with participating in a riot. “Based on case law, this is the most serious charge we can lay and will ensure the most accountability from the courts,” Chu added.
At a press conference announcing the newest charges, Chu also appealed to the public for their help in identifying the “Top Ten Most Wanted.”
“Number one is the man who is the sole unidentified suspect in the vicious and cowardly attack of a Good Samaritan, Mr. Robert Mackay, in front of the Hudson’s Bay store,” Chu said.
“We are happy with the success in the Robert Mackay assault investigation. From the video, we saw that 15 people participated in the swarming and beating. We have identified 14 – three have been charged, 12 have charges recommended, and two are under current investigation.”
RIOT STATS
- Over 150,000 people attended downtown Vancouver on June 15th, 2011
- There was more than $3,400,000 in losses as a result of the riot
- Damage to property: 112 businesses were victimized; 122 vehicles damaged or destroyed;
- There were 52 assaults identified: 33 involving civilian victims; 18 involving police victims; 1 firefighter victim
Vancouver's Integrated Riot Investigation Team still looking for ten suspected riots following the June 15, 2011 riots in the city (Click to enlarge)
About the Top 10 Most Wanted:
IRIT 00001: Good Samaritan Robert MacKay stood his ground in a valiant effort to try and stop rioters from breaking into the Hudson’s Bay Store. He was swarmed, knocked to the ground and violently assaulted. This suspected rioter is alleged to have assaulted Robert MacKay and caused damage to the Hudson’s Bay Store.
IRIT 00288: As a Good Samaritan attempted to record the actions of rioters stealing metal from a nearby construction site in the 800 block of Homer Street, he suddenly found himself the target of extreme violence. He was smashed in the face with a metal pipe, and suffered a broken nose and cheek bone that required surgery to repair. This suspected rioter is alleged to have participated in the assault, as well as a break and enter to London Drugs and mischief to police vehicles in the 800 block of Hamilton Street.
IRIT 00527: This suspected rioter is alleged to have participated with two others in the assault on a Good Samaritan who intervened to stop the theft of metal from a construction site in the 800 block of Homer Street. The Good Samaritan suffered serious facial injuries when he was struck in the face with a metal pipe. This suspect is also alleged to have committed break-and-enter at the Hudson’s Bay store.
IRIT 00 528: In addition to allegedly committing mischief to police vehicles parked in the 800 block of Hamilton Street, this suspected rioter is alleged to have participated in the assault on a Good Samaritan who was recording the theft of metal by a group of people who had entered a construction site in the 800 block of Homer Street. The Good Samaritan suffered serious facial injuries including a broken nose and cheek bone.
IRIT 00522: A Good Samaritan, standing her ground to prevent rioters from smashing a car in the 700 block of Seymour Street, found herself the target of an attack when a female in the crowd approached her, and allegedly punched her hard in the mouth. The punch knocked the woman’s front teeth loose and dental surgery was required to repair the damage. The attacker is also a suspect in connection with mischief to the Hudson’s Bay store.
IRIT 00488: In another attack on a Good Samaritan, this suspected rioter is alleged to have assaulted a man who intervened to stop people from throwing fences at the police line in the 200 block of West Georgia Street. He is also suspected of acts of mischief to police cars parked in the 100 block of West Georgia Street.
IRIT 00531: This suspected rioter is alleged to have assaulted a Good Samaritan in the 200 block of West Georgia Street and committed mischief to police cars parked in the 100 block of West Georgia during the riot. The Good Samaritan was helping prevent people from throwing fences at police.
IRIT-00483: Two police officers found themselves the focus of an attack as a masked man threw metal fencing supports at them as they stood in the 600 block of Homer Street. One of the metal supports hit its mark, striking one of the officers. This same man is also alleged to have caused damage to two police cars parked in the 100 block of West Georgia Street.
IRIT 00523: A Good Samarian riding his bicycle home in the melee of the riot found himself the target of violence when he intervened to stop a man from smashing out the window of the Hudson’s Bay Store, located in the 600 block of Seymour Street. For his efforts, he was viciously punched in the eye. The suspect has also been linked to an alleged mischief at the Da Gino Restaurant that same night.
IRIT 01012: This suspected rioter is alleged to have committed an assault, after he threw a table that struck a man and a woman. He is also a suspect in a mischief in connection with the Bank of Montreal, damage to a police car; break-and-enter to the Hudson’s Bay Store, and disguise with intent.
You might also be interested in: Court order needed to use ICBC facial recognition software to ID Stanley Cup rioters: BC Privacy Commissioner
