One man remains in custody after he allegedly tried to remove a gun from the holster of a VPD officer.
Shortly after 4:00 p.m. on December 13th, police received several 9-1-1 calls about a man acting aggressively near the intersection of Grandview Hwy and Commercial Drive. Witnesses told police the man was pushing pedestrians and that he had shoved an elderly woman who fell to the ground.
Two Vancouver Police officers arrived and quickly located the man matching the description provided by witnesses and the 9-1-1 callers. The suspect provided a false name and became belligerent as police tried to speak with him. When officers told the man he was under arrest and asked him to place his hands behind his back, he reportedly grabbed hold of one of the police officers guns and began to try and pull it from the holster.
Officers managed to get the man on the ground, but he continued to resist and hold onto the weapon. A North Vancouver RCMP member who was nearby on an unrelated matter saw the struggle and rushed over to help. The three officers were eventually able force the suspect’s hand off of the firearm and take him into custody.
Thirty-seven-year-old Thomas Luke McConnell has been charged with attempting to disarm a police officer. He remains in custody.
