A Surrey man has been arrested by the Vancouver Police Department in the Downtown Eastside after allegedly threatening a traffic control person in Burnaby.<\/p>\n
Initially, it was Burnaby RCMP officers who responded to the incident that occurred on May 4 at around 1 p.m.<\/p>\n
\u201cBurnaby RCMP officers responded after a man allegedly held a knife to the throat of a flagger near Olive Avenue and Central Boulevard,\u201d VPD shared in a release.<\/p>\n
VPD<\/a> said that the man was observed boarding a SkyTrain bound for downtown before police arrived. His description was then broadcast to Vancouver police officers shortly after the Burnaby traffic incident.<\/p>\n Around two hours later, Vancouver Police District Five officers observed a man who closely matched the description of the suspect walking along East Hastings Street near Main Street.<\/p>\n VPD officers searched the man during his arrest and recovered a \u201chunting-style knife.\u201d<\/p>\n It turns out that the suspect, 42-year-old Derrick Whitebear, is a Surrey resident. He was transported to a Vancouver jail before being turned over to Burnaby RCMP officers, since the reported crime occurred in Burnaby.<\/p>\n \u201cWhitebear has been charged with assault with a weapon and breach of probation. He remains in custody until his next court hearing,\u201d VPD said.<\/p>\n #VPDNews<\/a>: VPD officers arrested a man in the Downtown Eastside after he allegedly threatened a traffic control person in Burnaby with a knife.<\/p>\n On May 4, shortly after 1:00 p.m., Burnaby RCMP officers responded after a man allegedly held a knife to the throat of a flagger near\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/fXfpcsZaD7<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) May 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n