Update: April 12, 2025
Vancouver – Two Vancouver Police officers are recovering after they were set on fire by a man on the Downtown Eastside.
The officers were doing foot patrols on East Hastings and Carrall streets Thursday night, when they attempted to detain a man for jay-walking.
The suspect, who was wanted BC-wide for 10 different offences, tried to run away, but the officers pursued him. As they were taking the suspect into custody, it’s believed the man used a flammable substance to set the officers’ uniforms on fire, then continued to flee.
The officers, who were deployed as part of VPD’s Task Force Barrage, radioed for assistance and were able to put out the fires themselves. Additional VPD officers responded and the suspect was taken into custody a short distance away.
One officer was treated by paramedics and is currently recovering at home. The second officer did not sustain physical injuries.
The suspect, a 40-year-old Vancouver man, received treatment at hospital for burns and is currently in jail.
VPD is recommending multiple new charges, including assaulting a police officer with a weapon, obstructing a police officer, and breaching a release order.
More than 35 VPD officers have been assaulted on duty since the beginning of 2025 — a 25 per cent increase over the same period last year.
