VPD officer takes stand in own defence at assault trial

One of two Vancouver police officers on trial for an alleged assault for a Yaletown nightclub has taken the stand in his own defence.

One of two Vancouver Police Department constables on trial in relation to an incident at a Yaletown nightclub took the stand in his own defence Monday.

Constables Brian Hunt and Josh Wong each face one count of assault stemming from the December 2023 altercation.

The Crown rested its case in the morning after calling just one witness.

That man is one of the alleged victims in the case.

A second alleged victim is currently in India and will not participate in the trial.

Christine Joseph, Hunt’s lawyer, told the Crown she intends to show that he was “acting with an intention to protect others and himself.”

Hunt told the court the evening began with his colleagues from the VPD Gang Crime Unit gathering at a restaurant for a holiday celebration.

He said about five or six of them then carried on to Isabelle’s, a Yaletown nightclub.

Hunt testified that he consumed approximately 10 alcoholic drinks, including beer, a shot and mixed drinks, between 6 p.m. and 1:40 a.m., when the altercation took place.

Under cross-examination, the Crown asked if the four mixed drinks he claimed to have consumed were singles or doubles.

Hunt did not directly answer the question but said “they didn’t taste strong.”

CCTV video played in court shows Hunt in a small hallway in the bar, waiting to use the bathroom.

One of the alleged victims enters the frame and begins speaking with a staff member stationed outside the bathroom doors.

Hunt told the court that from his perspective it appeared the man was being aggressive towards the staff member.

At that point, the video shows Hunt grab the man by the arm and direct him out of the bathroom hallway and back into the main area of the club.

Moments later, Wong joins Hunt and the two of them talk briefly in the bathroom hallway.

The video then shows a scuffle involving Hunt and the man he had earlier directed away from the bathrooms.

Hunt can be seen grabbing the man’s neck or shoulder area before stumbling back.

He testified the man had challenged him to a fight.

“I did not want to fight,” Hunt told the court. “I was at a Christmas party.”

During the cross-examination, Crown counsel Tyler Gloux replayed the CCTV video of the initial interaction.

“I’ll suggest to you, in that interaction there doesn’t appear to be a fight going on,” Gloux said to Hunt.

“After watching the video several times, no there wasn’t,” Hunt said in response.

Gloux pressed Hunt on his level of intoxication and whether it impacted his judgement.

“You will agree with me that you shouldn’t have grabbed (him)?” Gloux asked.

“Knowing what I know now, yeah,” Hunt replied.

He will return to the witness stand on Tuesday to continue cross-examination.

Another video from a different angle shows Wong shove a second alleged victim to the ground.

It is not yet clear if he will take the stand in his defence.