Man charged after holding knife to traffic control flagger’s throat in Burnaby, police say

A plane passes behind condo towers in the Metrotown area of Burnaby, B.C., on Sunday, May 30, 2021. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)

Vancouver police say they have arrested a man who held a “hunting-style knife” to the throat of a traffic control worker in Burnaby earlier this week.

The incident occurred near the intersection of Olive Avenue and Central Boulevard in Burnaby on Monday, the Vancouver Police Department said in a news release Thursday.

Around 1 p.m., Burnaby RCMP officers were called to the scene. They reported that the suspect had been seen boarding a Vancouver-bound SkyTrain before their arrival, the VPD said.

Roughly two hours later, VPD officers in the Downtown Eastside saw a man “closely matching the suspect’s description” and arrested him on East Hastings Street near Main Street.

Following his arrest, police found and took the knife during a search of his person.

The suspect—42-year-old Surrey resident Derrick Whitebear—was taken to VPD jail cells before being turned over to Mounties, police said.

Whitebear has been charged with assault with a weapon and breach of probation, and he remains in custody, according to the VPD.

Online court records indicate Whitebear’s next appearance is scheduled for May 15 in Vancouver provincial court.