2014 award ceremony

VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENTBeyond the Call

certificate of merit chief constable unit citations chief constable‘s commendations certificate of merit chief constable unit citations chief constable’s commendations certificate of merit chief constable unit citations chief constable’s commendations certificate of merit chief constable unit citations chief constable’s commendations

CHIEF CONSTABLE’S COMMENDATION AND CERTIFICATE OF MERIT

2014 AWARD CEREMONY

certificate of merit chief constable unit citations chief constable‘s commendations certificate of merit chief constable unit citations chief constable’s commendations certificate of merit chief constable unit citations

CertifiCates of Merit

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mr. brennan KellY

mr. terrY lam

mr. arellano YounG

mr. nicholas hobden

When an armed robber tried to get some free food at McDonald’s by brandishing a knife, he didn’t think he would face much resistance. He was wrong.

Just past midnight on september 26, 2012, a man and his friend entered a downtown McDonald’s restaurant. the man went to the counter, pulled a knife and demanded free food. as one of the counter staff ran to the back for help, the man jumped the counter and started to slash at another counter person, Brennan Kelly.

Kelly began to wrestle the man for the knife and was soon joined by other staff members, terry Lam, and arellano Young. the staff was unprepared to deal with an intoxicated, hostile and armed man, and they could have easily locked themselves in a back room while the man took out his wrath on others. But they didn’t do that. they fought back.

Nicholas Hobden was a customer in the restaurant and was just feet from the exit door when he saw the commotion. instead of leaving, he joined the fray. He jumped over the counter and grabbed the knife from the man, suffering a minor cut in the process.

By the time police arrived, the man was successfully disarmed and controlled. so was his friend, who had been making threats.

for their brave and immediate actions, Brennan Kelly, terry Lam, arellano Young and Nicholas Hobden are awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

mr. dannY Yen KWonG leunG

it takes a special type of courage to step up in the face of real and imminent danger, not to save a life or protect your own, but because you want to see justice done. it is the type of courage possessed by Daniel Yen Kwong Leung.

When Jim Conto and Nick Cortner burned to death in their home on april 12, 1999, investigators

suspected foul play, but without supporting evidence, the case was closed. to this day, their deaths would have remained a mystery if it wasn’t for Mr. Leung.

He knew who killed the pair, and despite the great risk to his own life, he decided to come forward and tell all. the killers warned him to keep his mouth shut, but years later following a series of break-ins to his own home, he could stay silent no longer.

the resulting police investigation and court proceedings lasted from 2007 to 2012. During this time, he suffered a further break-in to his home, which heightened his fear that his life was in constant danger. through it all, he never asked for payment or consideration of any kind.

for his honesty, courage and compassion that gave the families of alexander (Jim) Conto and Nicholas Cortner the truth about what happened to their loved ones; Danny Yen Kwong Leung is awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

mr. chad PerePelKin

ms. brittanY sKuseK

Most of us hope that a vacation will provide us with pleasant experiences and memories, with maybe even a touch of excitement. for Chad Perepelkin and Brittany skusek, their vacation to Vancouver in september 2012 provided all that and more excitement than they ever needed.

the couple was staying in a room on the sixth floor of a hotel on Pender street when they heard a commotion in the middle of the night. When they left the safety of their suite and went out into the hallway, they found a 19 year old man high on drugs and alcohol destroying the laundry machines.

after a short confrontation, the man ran down the hall and threw himself head first through a plate glass window onto a fire escape, where he tried to climb over the guard rail and jump off. the couple, with no regard for their own safety, followed him out on the fire escape, even though it was covered in shards of broken glass and they had nothing on their feet.

While hotel staff called 9-1-1, the couple engaged the man in a violent struggle to keep him from jumping

CERTIFICATES OF MERIT

2 014 ch i e f co n s ta b l e co m m e n d at i o n s & ce r t i f i c at e o f m e r i t awa r d s4

to his death. a few minutes later, police arrived and took the man into custody. Both Chad Perepelkin and Brittany skusek were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, one of which required eight stitches.

for risking their own safety to save the life of a man who most likely would have died if they had taken the safer route of staying in their room, Chad Perepelkin and Brittany skusek are awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

mr. Wilfredo fundal

on september 30, 2012, a resident of a seniors’ home owed his life to a care-worker who simply wouldn’t let go.

When police arrived at the German Canadian Care Home, they saw that an elderly resident had tried to commit suicide by jumping out a third storey window. the only thing that now stood between him and certain death was the fact that care-worker Wilfredo fundal was holding onto to his arm and wouldn’t let go.

What made this scene even more extraordinary was that the man was dangling entirely over the edge of the rooftop. Mr. fundal had been holding on to him for approximately 15 minutes.

in order to make the rescue, police officers had to jump onto the top of a metal fence, and then pull themselves up to a second floor balcony. another officer ran up to the roof to help Mr. fundal hold on. along with members of the Vancouver fire service, they were eventually able to pull the man to safety.

the man was taken to hospital, but so was Mr. fundal, who had suffered abdominal muscle strain from holding on so long.

for his refusal to let another man’s life slip through his fingers, despite the danger and the pain, Wilfredo fundal is awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

mr. lee saunders

mr. michael mcKaY

a scream for help in the night. if you heard it, would you be paralyzed by indecision or, like so many, submit to that inner voice urging you not to get involved?

on May 15, 2011, sarah allan heard the scream. she didn’t hesitate. as she ran towards the sound, she saw a man violently robbing an elderly woman of her purse. When she told her male companions what she saw, they started yelling and running to the scene to save the woman from her attacker.

once the robber became aware that Lee saunders and Michael McKay were bearing down on him, he panicked and fled without the purse. the men ignored the risks to their own safety and gave chase, quickly catching the thug and holding him for police.

Ms. allan, meanwhile, had called 9-1-1 and was assisting the victim, who was in a distressed state made worse by a pre-existing heart condition.

for their selfless and brave actions that saved a woman from injury and loss and helped police arrest a person who was a suspect in several strong-arm robberies, Lee saunders and Michael McKay are awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

mr. alireZa efteKhari

mr. mehdi ebadi

sitting on a restaurant patio after work on a spring afternoon is supposed to be a pleasant experience. But for alireza eftekhari and Mehdi ebadi it wasn’t. in fact, it became terrifying.

Just after 6 p.m. on May 1, 2013, the two men were at a restaurant on Broadway avenue when they saw a man attempting to leave without paying his bill. When a waitress confronted him, he pulled a knife on her.



the two men came to her aid and the man tried to stab eftekhari with his knife. in the ensuing scuffle, eftekhari was able to subdue the man while his friend called police.

for their courage and unhesitating willingness to put their own lives at risk to stop an unstable armed man, alireza eftekhari and Mehdi ebadi are awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

mr. marc colson

for those who volunteer, the concept of civic duty is very familiar, but for one volunteer, Marc Colson, on february 2, 2013, that concept got pushed to new limits.

Mr. Colson was on duty as a safe ride volunteer when a distraught woman ran up to him, pointed to a running man and screamed that he had just broken into her house and stolen her property. Without hesitation or thought for his own safety, Mr. Colson gave chase.

it was a foot chase that would cover many long blocks, through yards, climbing over fences and balconies, and going down dark lanes. through it all, Mr. Colson stuck with the robber and continued to broadcast his location over his police radio. He kept on the man’s trail until police arrived and took him into custody.

the robber turned out to be a convict on parole with a lengthy record of break-and-enters. He was returned to prison and the homeowner recovered her stolen goods.

for his selfless bravery and very high standard of civic duty, Marc Colson is awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.

mr. eduardo GomeZ

on the evening of December 14, 2012, eduardo Gomez was walking through the regent Hotel when he heard a commotion in the lane. instead of ignoring the sound, he decided to see what all the fuss was about. a woman is alive today because of that decision.

What Mr. Gomez saw that night was a woman standing over the edge of a fifth floor fire escape, who was confused and upset. He immediately went to her aid and tried speaking to her as she stood on the other side of the railing hanging onto the handrail. at one point she let go. Mr. Gomez was able to grab her before she lost her balance.

He knew if he was going to save her, he needed help. Police heard his cries.

two officers arrived, one radioed in the call from the alley while the other climbed to the fourth floor to Mr. Gomez. the woman was now in obvious distress, in tears, screaming and incoherent. as she tried to go over the railing, Mr. Gomez and the constable grabbed her and held on in a bear hug. Her struggles had caused the door to close and lock behind them and now all three people were trapped on a narrow unstable platform perched over the laneway four stories below.

shortly afterwards other police officers arrived to open the door and pull the woman to safety.

for his willingness to get involved to save the life of a stranger at the risk to his own, eduardo Gomez is awarded the Vancouver Police Board’s highest award for civilian bravery, the Certificate of Merit.



CHief CoNstaBLe’s CoMMeNDatioNs


constable Peter andersen

a violent foot chase can be one of the most excit-ing 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 Con-stable andersen approached this much larger attacker, he sprinted at full speed for West Georgia street and the chase was on.

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 with-out warning and punched andersen in the side of the head. still in pursuit, the constable calmly radioed in his position but the suspect attacked again him, 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. Despite suffering vicious blows to the face and head, he held onto the man until back-up arrived.

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

for the exceptional and professional performance of his duties in the face of danger and injury, Constable Peter andersen is awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

constable brYce Kaltenbach

constable daVe marchand

When a person decides that he wants the police to end his life, it becomes a challenging call for those officers, whose job is to protect lives, including their own.

on april 10, 2011, a man in the area of 312 Main street was making a conscious effort to find a police officer, produce a knife and force the officer to shoot him. He passed over a number of officers as unsuit-able for his needs until he spotted Constables Bryce Kaltenbach and Dave Marchand checking a man on the other side of the street.

He started harassing the officers as he built up his courage. then he pulled a large knife and began run-ning towards the two constables.

six civilian witnesses testified that they heard com-mands to drop the knife but the man kept coming. When he got within 10 feet, Constable Kaltenbach, fearing for his life and those of others, fired one shot. Both constables began to immediately apply first aid until medical help could arrive. the man underwent surgery and survived his wounds.

the constables had never met the man before and had no idea that he was attempting suicide as he would later explain to investigators.

for their courageous and decisive actions during the event and afterwards, which led to a man’s survival, Constables Bryce Kaltenbach and Dave Marchard are awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

actinG serGeant tYrone sideroff

constable dan ames

When acting sergeant tyrone sideroff, and Con-stable Dan ames with his police dog shack, arrived at Victoria Park on the afternoon of June 1, 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 creating havoc. He had

CHIEF CONSTABLE’S COMMENDATION


CHief CoNstaBLe’s CoMMeNDatioNs


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 chil-dren 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 dropped down on one knee, shielding his hands from sight near his backpack. fear-ing that he was going to use his second knife, Consta-ble 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 are awarded the Chief Constable’s Commenda-tion.

constable colleen mcKitricK

for some, the phrase “Beyond the Call” might just be words on a police car, but for Constable Colleen McK-itrick, 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 demon-strate 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 ex-ceeds 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 Department.

Her compassion for those she serves in the perfor-mance of her duty is well known. in one case, her quick reflexes and sheer willpower and determina-tion kept a woman from plunging to her death, even though the woman weighed 280 pounds and tried to pull Constable McKitrick over the 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 is awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.

insPectors les Yeo, Joanne boYle and laurence ranKin

staff serGeant don caYer

serGeants hoWard choW and dale Weidman

actinG serGeants christian loWe and tom callaGhan

detectiVe constables sharon hunter, euGene lum and eVe KoenninG

constable caedmon nash

ms. sara lee and bettY linG

mr. Jason cheunG

mr. marK lanGham

on the evening of June 15, 2011, a riot erupted in Vancouver after the seventh game of the stanley Cup finals. More than 150,000 people took to the streets in an unprecedented crime spree in which 112 busi-nesses and 122 vehicles were damaged or destroyed, causing more than $3.4 million in damages.

the 70-member integrated riot investigation team was formed in the days after. the team took control of what would become the largest criminal investi-gation of its kind in Canadian history. they helped



develop and create a framework for the investigative processes and then provided on-going leadership, which was critical in keeping the investigation moving forward. all the while, they kept the media and the public informed and updated.

they were dedicated and determined to investigate the many acts of vandalism, looting and, in some cases, injury to innocent people caused by the riot-ers. their efforts resulted in more than 1,200 charges recommended against more than 350 rioters.

for their outstanding efforts and dedication in bring-ing these rioters to justice, the following receive the Chief Constable’s Commendation:

inspectors Les Yeo, Joanne Boyle and Laurence rankin

staff sergeant Don Cayer

sergeants Howard Chow and Dale Weidman

acting sergeants Christian Lowe and tom Callaghan

Detective Constables sharon Hunter, eugene Lum and eve Koenning

Constable Caedmon Nash

Crime analysts sara Lee and Betty Ling

Database administrator Jason Cheung and

Project assistant Mark Langham

constable sean streich

constable Jas mander

there 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 Man-der arrived, the man turned his attention on them, advancing towards them with the knife.

the man was getting so close that he could have eas-ily 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 encoun-ter.

for demonstrating the highest standards of police conduct and professionalism while exposing them-selves to possible harm or death, Constables sean streich and Jas Mander are awarded the Chief Con-stable’s Commendation.

constable KYle nishi

constable chad machuiK

When a person is intent on ending his life, police are often called to spoil his 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. 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. the fourth round caused the man to fall down, allowing them to safely take him into custody.

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 are awarded the Chief Constable’s Com-mendation.



CHief CoNstaBLe uNit CitatioNs


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, ZacharY robinson, stePhanie WillouGhbY, and scott fisher

detectiVe constables darren baYne and laWrence carlson

ms. lisa KinG

mr. farhad VelJi

dr. randY macKoff

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. 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. this was not going to be easy for any of the officers involved. as 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.

What they found was chilling.

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. 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-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.

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 are awarded the Chief Constable’s unit Citation: inspectors Loris Zuccato, rick smitas, Joanne Boyle, sergeants Dennis scally, aaron Kazuta, andrew Chan, Kevin Bernardin, Jana McGuinness, 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

CHIEF CONSTABLE uNIT CITATIONS


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, Zachary robinson, stephanie Willoughby, scott fisher, Detective Constables Darren Bayne, Lawrence Carlson, Ms. Lisa King, Mr. farhad Velji and Dr. randy Mackoff.

insPector brad desmarais

serGeant dale Weidman

detectiVe constables rYan camPbell, anton schamberGer, chris donnellY,

shiV Gill, chris berda, and Phil heard

Life in Vancouver’s Downtown eastside can be challenging at the best of times, 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 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 for marginalized area residents, the following members of Project rubicon are 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.

serGeant dennis scallY

actinG serGeants aleX ParKer and KYle marYnicK

constables Pablo cian, Geoff Gaudette, Jennifer daniel, courtneY sriGleY,

and michelle allen

for 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.

the four 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.

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.

Meanwhile, officers outside could see employees in the upper floor windows. they rushed in to evacuate them to safety.

for their professional and immediate action in the face of imminent danger, the following officers are 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.

CHIEF CONSTABLE uNIT CITATION


actinG serGeant tim GreenWood

forensic Video analYsts brian matsuo, chris sinKeWicZ, chris stoddard, caroline hardon, KathrYn WoolleY, and shane fraser

Port moodY constable Jordan Ginther

Port moodY sPecial constable JeVon Vaessen

neW Westminster Police forensic Video analYst mr. Jeff tanner

the stanley Cup riot that took place on June 5, 2011, in Vancouver, sparked the largest criminal investigation of its kind in Canadian history.

the investigation posed a major challenge necessitating the use of new techniques and setting new standards in policing. as a result, more than a thousand charges have been laid against more than three hundred rioters.

the massive amount of forensic video collected, processed and managed was unparalleled. More significantly, because of the investigative approach employed, each rioter was charged with the indictable offence of participating in a riot.

What made those charges possible was the ability of our investigators to shift through the thousands of hours of video and make sense of it . the efforts of the video analysts of the integrated riot investigation team brought to life and ultimately to justice the perpetrators of hundreds of acts of vandalism, looting and injury.

the approach they used has helped revolutionize how police will deal with modern day investigations of this size and type.

for their dedication and professionalism, the following members of the forensic Video unit of the integrated riot investigation team are awarded the Chief Constable’s unit Citation: acting sergeant tim Greenwood, forensic Video analysts Brian Matsuo, Chris sinkewicz, Chris stoddard, Caroline Hardon, Kathryn Woolley, and shane fraser, Port Moody Constable Jordan Ginther and special Constable Jevon Vaessen and New Westminster Police forensic Video analyst Mr. Jeff tanner.

insPector bob usui

serGeants tan tran and rob bieG

detectiVe constables Jeff Gabriel, dan murPhY, James hamade, Glenn burchart, leah terPsma, rob mitchelson, aleX ParKer, noVi Jette, roGer rai, and lisa Jacobson

sPecial constables rYan ProX and milena bruns

surreY rcmP corPorals Katherine middler, heather mattheW and scott bressette

delta Police detectiVe constable tim cardinal and constable natalie dosanGe

database administrator Jason cheunG

ProJect assistant Patricia ashford-boutilier

coordinator anJi loWe

ms. shannon Guiboche, familY serVices of Greater VancouVer suPPort WorKer

it is said that sometimes the difference between winning and losing is that the winner never gives up. for the team of Project scourge, the crimes they were investigating were so heinous that the thought of giving up never occurred to them.

the 20 members of this investigative team were faced with a daunting challenge. they had to find and arrest a serial child rapist. they knew he had committed three attacks in three different jurisdictions over 14 years because his DNa was found at the scenes of all three crimes. the problem was that all three of those investigations had stagnated due to lack of evidence and suspects.

under the direction of inspector Bob usui, the team began its massive task. investigators consolidated evidence from all three scenes, conducted numerous innovative investigative techniques and amassed enormous amounts of data. they had to invent new systems and new computer programs to correlate it all.

after 15 months of steadfast and determined investigation, the Project scourge team obtained irrefutable DNa evidence identifying the suspect. they then lured him back to Canada where he could be arrested. faced with the mountain of evidence against him, he pled guilty.

for their relentless professionalism and dogged determination in bringing a child rapist to justice, the following members of Project scourge are



awarded the Chief Constable’s unit Commendation: inspector Bob usui, sergeants tan tran and rob Bieg, Detective Constables Jeff Gabriel, Dan Murphy, James Hamade, Glenn Burchart, Leah terpsma, rob Mitchelson, alex Parker, Novi Jette, roger rai and Lisa Jacobson, special Constables ryan Prox and Milena Bruns, surrey rCMP Corporals Katherine Middler, Heather Matthew and scott Bressette, Delta Police Detective Constable tim Cardinal and Constable Natalie Dosange, Database administrator Jason Cheung, Project assistant Patricia ashford-Boutilier, Coordinator anji Lowe and shannon Guiboche, a support worker from family services of Greater Vancouver.

serGeant Jason hiGh

constables Keith Jordison

christian Galbraith

don chaPman

Criminals operating a clandestine meth lab make interesting subjects for Hollywood, but in real life, they leave behind explosive problems for police.

on December 15, 2011, members of the Vancouver Police emergency response team were assisting the Combined forces special enforcement unit to execute a warrant on a drug lab. the takedown and arrest of all the key players went as planned, but no one could have foreseen the chemical hazards that were waiting inside.

investigators found containers of ether that had been opened and mixed with oxygen in the air. they were now highly explosive and almost anything could set them off, including heat, light, movement and shock.

Vancouver’s ert explosive technicians were given the dangerous job of rendering the containers safe. the team researched the hazards and developed a plan. Because of the high risk, each container was transported by a convoy of vehicles to a site where small explosive charges were attached and controlled detonations rendered the chemicals safe.

for putting themselves in harm’s way to prevent others from harm, the following members are awarded the Chief Constable’s unit Citation: sergeant Jason High, and Constables Keith Jordison, Christian Galbraith and Don Chapman.


Beyond the Call is a puBliCation showCasing the outstanding

aChievements of the men and women of the vpd.

to download a Copy of Beyond the Call,

go to vpd.ca.

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

http://vancouver.ca/police/assets/pdf/beyond-the-call/btc-2014.pdf

2014 award ceremony

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