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.
