🇨🇦 Matt Watson

I watched this with much the same anger and frustration as the infamous 'Star Wars Stormtrooper' incident out of Medicine Hat a few years ago. This was very obviously a toy gun, part of a child's Halloween costume. And if the video is any indication, that child was absolutely terrified. Now, what should have been an innocent Halloween experience has potentially become a deeply unpleasant memory, and an experience that could shape how that child views and interacts with police for years to come. All because of one off-duty RCMP officer who seemed to have little interest in exercising even the most basic courtesy, restraint, or common sense. Even if the officer had a legitimate concern (and I personally disagree that he did), there were a dozen better ways to approach the situation. A little courtesy, a little conversation, and a little perspective would have gone a long way. Instead, what we see is an entirely disproportionate response to a child in a Halloween costume. There is a difference between public safety and ideology. This was a particularly unfortunate demonstration of the latter. -The Moderator ‘𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿’: 𝗢𝗳𝗳-𝗱𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗥𝗖𝗠𝗣 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕.𝗖. 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼 𝘔𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘠𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘢𝘩, 𝘊𝘛𝘝 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝙉𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝟬𝟯, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 ctvnews.ca/vancouver/vancouv…