Halloween brings injuries and arrests to BC

Emergency crews in Vancouver faced another year of Halloween mayhem Thursday as attacks, fires, fireworks-related injuries and general public disorder marred the spooky holiday.

Despite the ban in place on the sale or use of fireworks anywhere in the city, incidents involving low-grade explosives continued to result in a number of injuries.

Chaos began early at David Thompson Secondary School in Fraserview, where two teenagers were injured after someone set off a firecracker in the school’s hallway just after 10am.

According to a statement from the Vancouver Police Department, the person set off the firecracker at the entrance to the school’s gym, hitting two students as they walked by. One was taken to hospital with a facial injury, while the other suffered temporary hearing loss.

Police have not identified a suspect and said it is unclear if the person is a student at the school. VPD, whose Division of Youth Services is investigating the incident, asked anyone who witnessed the assault or has information about what happened to call the department at 604-717-3144.

Officers continued to have their work cut out for them into the evening, with Vancouver police noting much of the disturbance was concentrated downtown.

Eight people were arrested for breach of peace, along with one for assault on a police officer, all on Granville Lane, VPD said Friday.

Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services recorded another person with serious fireworks-related injuries Thursday night after someone “maliciously discharged” a firework near another person.

Despite Vancouver’s ban on the sale, purchase and discharge of fireworks coming into effect in 2020, firefighters said they have received 100 reports of fireworks being set off in the city this year, with crews responding to 50 areas of concern where they had to actively intervene or disperse the people who were in the area.

Of the 21 fires reported Thursday night in Vancouver, three were related to fireworks, VFRS said.

While the numbers mark a notable drop in spooky season misbehavior — firefighters noted the $3,000 in fireworks-related damages is considerably less than the $225,000 racked up last year, and the two combined pale in comparison to losses of property of $1.3 million for 2019 and 2020 – Thursday’s incidents highlight there is still room for improvement, VFRS said.

“While there have been year-over-year decreases in fireworks events, more work still needs to be done to educate the public about the risks to people and property, as well as to enforce the regulations that are in place ”, said the VFRS. in a press release Friday.

Vancouver wasn’t the only region where Halloween lawlessness took place on Thursday, with other Lower Mainland police departments reporting incidents throughout the evening.

In Squamish, fireworks, bear spray and improvised explosive devices were confiscated by police, reprimanding a large gathering of rowdy youths in the Garibaldi Highlands neighborhood. Officers located about 100 youths setting off illegal fireworks, setting fires and “causing mischief” in the area, said Squamish RCMP, which received a large number of calls reporting fireworks being shot at people , houses and cars.

“A number of young people were physically and verbally aggressive towards the police. Fireworks were aimed at the police and their vehicles and were set off. In addition, some youths were in possession of bear spray, bear collars, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and were wearing balaclava,” Squamish RCMP said in a news release.

Several youths were arrested and later released back to their parents, and while no charges have been filed in the incidents, investigations are still ongoing, police said.

The Abbotsford Police Department said officers seized explosives and issued trespassing tickets, reprimanding youths “as young as 14,” following a “large number” of fireworks complaints. Surrey RCMP noted 39 calls related to the use of fireworks, with the other 301 calls received Thursday night being the result of disturbances, mischief, disputes, abandoned 911 calls and suspicious events.

In the Mission, he would have been an officer hit in the face with the cane while trying to break up a party of 300 people in the area of ​​Albert McMahon Elementary School.

Meanwhile, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), which last month announced it would be one of the last regions of bans holiday explosivesnoted a marked reduction in Halloween-related incidents this year.

Nation spokesman and Sxwixwtn council member Wilson Williams said people were “complying with the ban” on sales on reserve land before Halloween and the number of complaints and reported noise incidents had been substantially reduced.

“I’m pleased to say that the fireworks ban we put in place on our reserve has achieved its intended purpose,” he said.

“The safety of our people this season is our number one priority and the ban has been a success.”