“I’m going to kill you and your dog”

I’m sitting here physically exhausted. Just drained. I was sitting with Gilbert in the car pulled to the curb crying.  I feel so alone, afraid, old, vulnerable and unprotected.

This afternoon I was walking Gilbert , my old blind cockapoo with damaged back, in the DTES.  The sun was out. I’d just had lunch.  Children were playing in the park. I was returning to the clinic where patients would be waiting. Sometimes people wait months to see someone like me. The health care system is broken, mismanagement and poor leadership.  Like all the fewer and fewer front line clinicians I feel like the proverbial little Dutch boy with his thumb in the hole in the damn.  Any day the flood is going to happen.  Maybe it has and people are just being distracted by climate change projections about a dubious future anywhere from decades to hundreds of years away.. Right now the threat is here. The threat is now. The threat is real.  People are dying daily in the DTES. 

Today there were three ambulances on my way to work on Hastings. The half hour commute has become an hour to two hours each way. This day a fire truck blockaded half the main thoroughfare, at another traffic jam it was just one ambulance, lights flashing, and at the next several police cars and an ambulance. There ‘d been shooting the night before here. Three incidents, some one killed and others targeted.  I confess I was a bit anxious about going to work.  

I’m pretty tough. I’ve been shot at, knived, faced down countless guns, fought my way out of several street flights younger. I’ve been falsely accused by psychopaths too, a couple of times. Last year I refused to see an addict who threatened to kill me and my dog. He threatened to kill the lawyer’s dog, his boss’s dog and eventually after a year of texts still threatening to kill me , despite the police being involved it only stopped when he threatened to kill Justin Trudeau. The College of Physicians and Surgeons implied I provoked him by refusing to see him.  It was the old politically  correct arrogance.  An administrator with comparatively  no clinical experience think grandiosely if they’d ‘handled’ the situation, the guy wouldn’t be upset. The politically correct position is  ISIS murderers, pedophiles, rapists just need a little counselling and they’re be good neighbours. I’ve worked with psychopaths and sociopaths and lost that illusion with experience.  I’ve surged 40 years of the toughest assignments. 

The pit bull ran at us the full length of the block , no leash, no master, just a full out charge.  It came straight at me.  Ears back.  Like a land shark. I positioned myself with Gilbert directly behind me.  He knew there was danger. The dog lunged in the air at me and I took his charge right on my thigh I’d positioned to take the charge. He bounced off. He circled real quick trying to go between my legs at Gilbert.  A pit bull or bull terrier can kill a small dog with one bite and shake. I knew a biker with a pit bull who bragged about his dog killing little dogs with one bite and one shake.

I have a woman in my practice. She was passing some street people going into the store. They man and woman were sitting with the pit bull. The pit bull lunged at her grabbing her arm.  She’s in her late 60’s. The crushing bite has permanently disabled her. She has a ‘claw hand’, constant pain and can’t pronate or supinate the forearm.  It’s quite disturbing visually.  The street people and their dog disappeared. No consequences. There was no victim’s compensation. I saw her for the night terrors and despair. She’s been so depressed and tired. It’s a year now and she’s living on a pension, permanently disabled, can hardly pay rent and can’t afford much beyond bare essentials. Vancouver is an expensive city. Canada doesn’t treat its old well. 

The dog was circling trying to get past me . I was blocking him with my legs. What I presumed was his master came charging down the street screaming at me. I’m partially deaf. I didn’t hear what he was saying.I was shouting ‘Get your dog on a leash. It’s against the law to not have your dog on a leash.”

Suddenly I’ve now got this young bully right in my face standing full in front of me , the dog still circling behind me, watching for a change to get at Gilbert,  two bully assailants.

 He’s screaming, “Did you kick my dog? If you kicked my dog I’m kill you.”

“Your dog attacked me and now you’re threatening me.”  I said with shock and disdain.

“My dog didn’t attack you.”

“Yes it did”. It was still there off leash looking for an opening to get at my dog

“I”m going to kill you and your dog.” He said. 

He was standing arms up, odd position. I was not moving, staring him straight in the eyes, defensive mode, I hate to think how many times I’ve been in this position.  So many bullies attacking us as kids. The biker knifing me when I was 16.  The gang with the chains and knives threatening us northern Ontario.  The guys swinging billy clubs at me. Getting shot at. Guys with knifes, guys with guns.  I escaped the muggers in Athens only a couple of years back. I could run fast then. First lesson of self defence. Run!  But my knee hurts today.

 I ‘m wary. The kids’ a punk. I’m steady ,ready. He has his arms up chest high away from his body. I just watched his eyes but figured later that this stance was supposed to attract my eyes. He had one arm out and the other cocked for a punch. I saw it with my peripheral vision. Didn’t fall for it. He seemed a little perplexed. The look that goes with guys who figured they had an easy target. Probably attacked other old guys before. Predator, only picks easy prey, normally hides in a gang.  

He also seemed to not mean to say “I’m going to kill you and your dog.”  He seemed to register that he’d ‘technically threatened me’, whereas his first statement ,”if you kicked my dog I’m going to kill you “ that was said with confidence. That was okay. He might have been a jail house lawyer but he did say “I’m going to kill you and your dog”.  I reacted to that, getting even more ready. I take the first punch always and luckily don’t have a glass jaw and mostly get the last punch. Still my mind is screaming I’m too old for this shot.

Then the thought flashed through my mind.  He’s gong to hit me and I’m going to hurt him bad and his dog’s going to attack me and Gilbert who can’t even see the assailant just smell him. I might just kill his dog to protect Gilbert. Then I’m going to go to jail. I’m going to go to jail for defending myself.  I had no doubt I’d ‘win’. Men can size each other up.  Even as an old guy the punk wasn’t dangerous alone. But he could come back with his ‘gang’ . I can’t fight gangs any more. I’d fought against several guys late teens taking down three out of 10 with kicks to the face and knees to the head causing the other half dozen guys to let me leave. I walked through Harlan in my 20’s.  I’d been an athlete then. Now I’m old and fat and I’d probably beat him unconscious with my fists or do a hip toss , throwing my back out, and breaking my fingers so I couldn’t do surgery, play guitar or write reports. That’s what flashed through my mind. 

“I’m going to kill your dog,” he sneered.  He backed down. Turned began to walk away. His dog had headed back to what was a girl and their bike.  He turned to follow and looked back at me “I’m going to kill your dog”.  He said. So many people competing for Darwin Awards these days. 

He owned the city.  The police and citizens they’re the prisoners. The City Council doesn’t live here. They’re out in Elite World, somewhere in West Vancouver or maybe on the  Moon. Too many politicians stoned. They’ve got body guards and guns , criminal money laundering and drug dealing connections and lawyers on speed dial. The province is only less corrupt than Quebec whose owned by Mafia and Biker gangs.  

I”m nobody.  I’m not safe.  He put his dog on leash and then walked back saying he again was going to kill my dog. I phoned the police then.  I didn’t trust him not to turn around and come for me.  But It was over. The altercation was winding down. As the call was going through he was getting further away. He was going.  I was shaking. That’s what happens after adrenaline with me. I’ve saved lives and then been shaking in hospital corridors after the resuscitation of some adult or child.  

I remember stopping this guy slapping his pregnant wife on the maternity ward , threatening to kick her in belly, her crying. I strode in and pushed him out of the room and he pushed back and then left. The police arrived, asked me for a description. I thought he was 6 foot tall. It was in threat mode.  We make ourselves look big. The English wore tall black fur hats on their heads for that purpose. The guy was something like 5’5”.  I shook after that, embarrassed.

The police call was awful. I felt liked I was being interrogated , told them the street corner, that he was going away from Hastings by the park but then the guy wants to know north or west or towards Richmond and I can’t see the mountains and I don’t know what his girlfriends’ wearing. I’m in self defence mode watching his eyes for movement ready to defend against kick or strike. I’m not an outside observer.  The questions upset me.I felt sick to my stomach. I’m feeling faint and nauseous.  Then the guy asked if I wanted to talk to a police officer.  I thought he was. But then he told me he was the ‘call taker’.  I was too fed up, him asking me questions I didn’t have the answer to and didn’t want to discuss. 

But then the guy cut in front of me with the dog and a friend a block ahead of me turning on to Hastings. Talking on the phone I’d been slowly waking back to the office. Now he’s between me and the clinic. I say I want to talk to the police.  I’m afraid. I’m afraid for Gilbert. I’m afraid he’s now  going to be waiting outside my work with other low life. I’m reminded of the bully in high school who waited for me caught me with a brass knuckle under the eye,  before I took him down. The police arrived. I’ve still got the scar. The fear seems cumulative. I didn’t used to be so disturbed. I think I took things better younger. I’m not feeling good now. 

I got back to the clinic. I told administration what had happened and that I was going home. I’ve stiff upper lipped my life and I just can’t do it any more. I ‘m too old for this shit. I was still shaking. My voice was quivering. I couldn’t help anyone and no one could help me. I say, I can’’t work here any more I don’t feel safe.  I’ve been unhappy with the dangerous drivers on the commute, the hostile neighborhood, everyone so easily offend and now an outright threat. I figure it’s some kind of warning.

I haven’t felt safe in Vancouver for a few years.  It’s the atmosphere.  I can’t get it out of my head the greatest police woman I know  saying “I left when the city wouldn’t let the police fight crime but wanted us to record crime.” She also said “we’d catch criminals and the judges just let them back on the street.”  I see all these guys who have had gun crimes and they’ve done a very little time. Then  they all tell me they have guns. Meanwhile I’m treated like a criminal as a law abiding citizen with a hunting rifle who done more exams and tests and been vetted more than medical school. I’m just a hunter and I’m treated worse that criminals with guns. There’s no deterrence. It’s Bizarro World Canada.  I’m afraid. I never got over a Canadian paying a terrorist who murdered an American soldier $10 million dollars. Crime pays in Canada.

My colleague talked to me as I headed out for my car. “I’ve phoned the police too and it’s the same things.  Always this whole list of questions about me like I’ve done something wrong and nothing happened .” He’s supportive, worried I’m okay. I’m not okay but I appreciate his concern. 

I couldn’t drive home. I pulled over to the curb and cried. I’m old and afraid. I’m afraid I’m old and vulnerable and I can hardly protect my dog. Im grieving more these days. I’m afraid I can’t shake it off. I’m afraid I don’t feel safe in Canada. I feel so vulnerable. Just driving a few blocks in the DTES a half dozens people walked across the road in front of me. If I hit them I’d be held accountable.  The tent city is just there. There’s cops and drugs on crime going on right there on the street, Insite is near by and the cops can’t even go there because it could threaten the addicts so my patients tell me that’s where all the big drug deals go down.  “The cops can’t go there.It’s the criminals own place. No surveillance.”.  

The guy swaggered.  The dog swaggered.  The girl, well, they like ‘bad boys’. Makes them feel safe, even if they kick them around. Eva Brawn world .  Good girls are so passé. The new world order. He swaggered. He could have hit me. It was in his eyes. I truly felt that if I looked a little weaker and hadn’t kept saying “get your dog on the leash”, he’d have lifted his leg and pissed on me. He’s top dog in this area. I’m little dog.  He’s got the City, the Politicians, the Media and he’s beat on others  before. He’s probably spit on his share of cops too.

I was glad when the cop phoned me. He game me confidence. Felt reassuring. 

“I’ve been working down here for the last 25 years and it’s probably the worst it’s been.”

“Three guys murdered yesterday scared me,” I’d said.

“Only one guy shot and two other incidents. It was bad but not as bad as that. We’ve got the guys description and we’ve got some guys who will keep an eye out for him.  If we find him we’ll call. He sounds like he’s got away with bullying other people. If you charge him we can deal with it as a criminal thing. You’d have to pick him out of a line up. He did threaten you and that’s criminal. “

“I felt if I defended myself I’d go to prison.” 

“Only if you use unreasonable force.”  

“What’s reasonable when you’re defending yourself”.  

“Yea there’s that.”

It don’t trust the government.  They’d asked me if the guy with the dog was white and I’d said no. Maybe aboriginal, not black.  But there it was ‘white priviledge’ and ‘social justice’. It was in the tone. Old white guys are in season. The judges aren’t reasonable. If anything they’re afraid too.  Afraid to offend one of the social justice groups.  I felt alone. I was thankful the cop sounded sane.  

“It’s not as bad as it seems. I can tell you.  There’s enough of us on the police force who know what to do but we’re not allowed.”

I immediately think of New York . The city is amazing. Overnight they had good city administration and the city became great again. Safe, clean. A tourist attraction.   I trust this policeman..  He’s not a politician. He’s down to earth and reassuring. He’s not blowing smoke up my ass.

“Thanks. Okay. You’re a good man.” I say.  

I got out of the car again. I’d taken the call on the Mini speaker phone. I felt light headed. I sat down on a staircase with Gilbert. It was a busy loud street and I saw the little guy was afraid. All the noise. Old blind dog. No doubt he worried about me. I cried again. I’m exhausted. I’m just exhausted. I felt weak and clammy. I had to slow and settle my breathing. Reassure Gilbert. Sit for a bit. I still didn’t feel right. 

I got the text asking if I was coming to work tomorrow. I figured I would. I don’t think I can take Gilbert downtown anymore.  I don’t know how parents with children can live in Vancouver.  I know my friends with toddlers are terrified of the criminals ,the needles everywhere, the gangs. 

 I ‘m afraid for my dog. Seeing that pit bull charging full speed right at me and Gilbert,  then this guy threatening me.  All he had to do was put his dog on a leash. 

I’m home now and tired and afraid and men don’t cry. Tough men like me ‘buck up’ .  

I just can’t seem to get it together. I keep crying. IF it’s not the bullies in government with their ‘lick above, kick below’ mentality, it’s little shits on the streets picking on the old guys. I’ve got to pull myself together..

This too will pass. 

Vancouver Thieves

Out walking Gilbert this morning. Half dozen guys gathered in the parking lot.
"We've had thieves," one said to me.
"My cooler was stolen."
"New batteries were taken right out of the box of my truck."
"I just set down some luggage and was going back to get it. This guy was walking off with it. I called out for him to stop and got it. I was just unloading my car and this guy was taking the stuff."
I know that's normal in Vancouver. Even the head of the RCMP and the Chief of the Vancouver police are more concerned about complaints from criminals about police use of bad language than the city being safe from crime. Everyone I know tells a tale of theft and mayhem. Assaults are common too. But no one reports anything any more. Police say they aren't allowed to fight crime in Vancouver and their only job is to 'record' crime.
Two friends describe recurrent thefts to their property which resulted not in criminals being caught but in them being denied insurance.
The principal theft in the city is associated with the drug trade. A heroin addict needs roughly $300 a day for their habit not to mention the crack and other drugs. Since the exchange rate on stolen property is on 10 cents on the dollar this means that each heroin addict must steal $3000 dollars a day 356 days of the year. That translates into roughly a million dollars a n addict a year in theft.
The best treatment for individual and society is the methadone maintenance program. The best legal response is the Vancouver Drug Court. Yet the Vancouver Drug Court despite it's high success compared to traditional 'punishment' models is the least funded of services despite having the most enlightened judges and the greatest success rate addressing theft and crime.
The city collectively is losing dozens of minutes per day per citizen working because they can't even put a shopping bag down beside a cart without risk of these legions of thieves picking it up. Everyone, myself included, wastes an inordinate amount of time locking and checking and placing cameras and such to attempt to compete against the criminals whose full time occupation is to steal from the workers of the city.
Over the years there have been a variety of measures taken to address theft in communities, certainly community service and repayment of the debts to individuals and society is high on the list in communities that have gone beyond barbarism. Thousands of years past cities used 'banishment' from the city to reduce crimes of theft. Clearly I consider it a priviledge to live in Vancouver on the west coast in a kind climate compared to Yellowknife but should we not support the police and simply have those people who have had recurrent theft charges have their right to be in the city removed until their pay their debts to those they have stolen from. 
The notion of 'gated communities' has been ridiculed as a place where theives know the location but historically people had to be able to show reason to be in 'areas' of cities.  Interestingly in the 1800's in Milan Italy, the famous Gallerina Centre was developped as a 'safe shopping site'.  In the Pentagon no one enters without a pass.  Clearly some areas of the city could be considered 'theft free' and people with a history simply not allowed to enter.  Yet that brings to mind the Scarlet Letter debate as a means to identy crime and criminals.  Where does one draw the line. What does work.
The beauty of drug treatment is that a thieve who steals from innoscent people is by addressing their drug dependency taking 'action' to address their 'theiving'.
Of course not all drug dependent are theives and some theives are simply psychopaths and sociopaths. But then society has to really question it's fundamental attitudes towards multiculturalism as a leading provincial representative argues that it is 'ethnocentric' of the 'majority' population to impose it's views against theft on a 'culture' who have use thieving as their main means of survival.
First Nations people rarely speak about their historic and traditional 'punishments' for offences against the tribe. All manner of highly objectionable punishment occured within different tribal systems.  Theft between tribes was celebrated at times where as theft between individuals was as much as an offense as today.  The notion of communal ownership or the idea that we don't 'own' but 'borrow' the land still causes anger and fear in children who having 'borrowed' something take offence at someone else 'borrowing' it back. In general if a man stole the Chief's head dress for instance, there would be hell to pay. Commonly death sentences were the norm  in many of the 'cultures' that make up Canada yet in 'multicultural' Canada we reject this.  
As a Christian I noted that the first deaths in Christian history in the Christian community were recorded in Acts when a man and woman died as a consequences of stealing from the communal group.
My Christian childhood neighbourhood didn't require locks on the door and we didn't lock our bicycles and we didn't know theft. I miss that world where I wasn't constantly looking over my back worrying if I locked my computer, my car, and afraid to set down a bag beside a car for fear it will be snatched.  I miss a world in which people trusted each other and collectively no one stole and respected each other's boundaries and property.
Personally I think it's time for the Bible to returned to the classroom. If not then lets have a review of the multicultural laws regarding 'theives' and do something more 'effective' than we are. What are the new "morality and ethics' classes doing and are they as effective?  I don't believe it's at all Canadian to be a thief and it's fundamentally against Canadian Culture to Steal. Canadians believe collectively 'thou shalt not steal'.  The problem lies not with the collective culture but rather what one does to achieve this agreed principle of living.s
People are not 'stealing for food'. This is not a "Jean Val Jean" times. There is so much 'food' in the downtown eastside that people are trading the sweet stuff for drugs. Theft remained a major concern in Communist Russia and continues to be a major concern in Communist China.  The extent of theft in these anti religion secular theocracies is probably greater than in traditional non ideological societies.I don't steal because to steal would be to steal from God and hurt my very soul. The 10 commandments say 'thou shalt not steal'. That's Hebrew, Christian, and Moslem. The Buddhists and Hindus believe that a thief will come back without hands in the next life. Karma is a the consequence of theft but in the countries with the highest density of buddhists or hindus theivery is punished worse than it is in an Christian country. It appears even in countries which believe in reincarnation no one is ready to wait for the criminals to get their just desert in the next life. This is no different in Judeo Christian society where we believe that theives will burn in hell but historically were happy to chop off their hands, burn them in oil or send them to Australia before God got his licks in . First Nations killed theives just as most pagan cultures. Indeed Christians and Jews collectively in the world have the greatest history of mercy despite their otherwise tough approach to sin.
Dr. Johnson was paraphrased by Bob Dylan in that great philosophical theological treatise "I and I',  "steal a little and they put you in jail, steal alot and they make you king".  Theft then has been a matter of the most powerful nations taking from less powerful nations but within these nations at the neighbourly level there is still the sanctions surrounding theft. It might be alright for the King, Queen or Commissar to steal since as in  "Animal Farm" some animals are more 'equal' than others.
Faced with the theives in Vancouver I really do wonder how people are raising their children. Historically in many cultures in the east the parents and family are held accountable for the thefts of children with the consequence that the community approach to crime is found most effective.   This proved a highly effective collective strategy which might well be considered in our individualist culture.
Possibly if we got it together to address theft at the parking lot and back yard and office level then we'd really be in a place to be righteously indignant about CEO's and Banksters stealing massive amounts of pensioner funds and the bottles out of the babies of the nations mouths.
Personally in Vancouver I've had my houses broken into despite cameras and locks, my cars and trucks broken into repeatedly, (car insurance never has paid for the loss or more importantly the cost in time dealing with broken glass and such) ,  my boat broken into, an office staff who turned out to be a psychopath lying and stealing but actually admitting her theft to the police without any consequence to her, ultimately costing me $50,000 because of corruption in the system,  despite her chronic history of theft and deceit and my being 'targetted' by her,  several computers have over the years been  stolen from work, though thankfully no confidential data loss. Still  I fear putting through insurance claims though I've had hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen in my life time and pay roughly tens of thousands of dollars insurance a year. What a waste of a life!!!! Why should any one get a job and build and create if theives can come and take without consequence?  That's what I 'feel' some days and 'emotional reasoning' dictates. Yet when I talk to friends and neighbours they describe similiarly horrific experiences yet continue to muddle on. The power of good people to persist with so little support from the authorities and so many psychopaths and sociopaths parasitizing them remains utterly astonishing. I learn from construction company executives that they have horrendous losses from theft but just "soldier on".  Society grows and people generally prosper. Our lives are longer and never before in time were as many as rich as they are today. 
Several gang members who I've known over the years in work or riding my Harley have told me that just as there are private schools and a private postal system and Canadians cross the border for private health care in the US (our longstanding 2 tier medical system) there has always been an alternative 'police' system provided by 'private' services. I've spoken with many people from ethnic communities who have no faith in the Canadian 'services' and they admit that they aren't concerned about the RCMP or Vancouver Police because some member is caught on video kicking someone.
They just don't think the Canadian police will get their stuff returned or do anything but "record" crime. Japanese society and America in the times of the Kennedy's certainly had an 'arrangement' with the so called 'criminal forces' of the world and times.  Given the example of the Rolling Stones concert with 'private' security services that became more dangerous than the crowds needing 'security' control ultimately ruined what could have been a truly great concert.  Sadly there are simply too many people who feel entitled to what Mick Jagger has without realizing the tremendous work he does.
 It does appear that there is a vacuum of law enforcement regarding 'theft'.  Theft is now considered a 'virtue' by the kids raised in schools without Bibles in court rooms without Bibles in a world where work is for suckers and theft is what the smart one do.  But Plato and Socrates didn't condone theft any more than Moses or God.  So all societies have to judge themselves on how well they protect those who create.
It's hard to start the day and go to work when my neighbours are collectively standing about in a parking lot 'frustrated'. I see the leading news story by the head of the RCMP is that the 'culture' of the policing must change. I know I'm old fashioned but I'm of the belief generally that the police and citizens are frustrated because the countries leadership is living on a different planet and watching too much You Tube and not hearing the frustration people have who are doing everything to work and pay taxes but are routinely having stuff stolen. Break and entries, cars, purses, and offices theived. Why should anyone go to work in Vancouver when theft is so much easier and clearly in Vancouver has little consequences.  Crime pays and the police, if not their politically correct  leadership  would truly like to do something about it.  In these economically difficult times can we really afford to put political correctness over protection of person and property.

British Columbia has the greatest property crime in Canada second only to the N.W.T.   Some 5,600 property crimes per 100,000.  This doesn't even touch the full extent of crime as so little of the total is reported.  What's most infuriating as a tax payer is that when ever I am robbed I am invariably 'blamed' for it as if the beaurocrats and insurance people and indeed the police themselves aren't all in this same mess together with me. I feel like Job talking to these morons whenever I've been violated and something has been stolen knowing full well that they cannot be immune from theft as I despite my best efforts have experienced it repeatedly in this city where property crime is literally ubiquitous.  
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Vancouver Police and Police Dogs

I was disheartened to hear CBC news going on and on about some poor fellow who was bit by a police dog.  To hear the story I was left with the impression that Saint Theresaa and Queen Elizabeth  had been attacked by a police dog while having tea in a church somewhere.  Typical of CBC left wing politically correct yellow bleeding heart liberal journalism they had the story all wrong.
It turns out a young man, not a child, or a little boy or girl, but a man had been bashing a street bus with his skateboard threatening the driver and others about..  He'd been doing this not once but umpteen times.  He was told repeatedly to stop his angry bullying aggressive destructive behaviour.  He did not listen to authority or reason. He was a law unto himself. Clearly he had never till this time been socialized. He is likely the kind of person who pees on toilets seats and shits in the kitchen. His behaviour was by all intents and purposes feral and barbaric.  The police arrived and told him to stop and he fled.  The police dog followed him.  Note a police man running or a police car is least likely to catch a man on a skateboard.  However this punk, this thug, this bully, this mean little shit, didn't anticipate the police dog.  He didn't think. He might well have been high on drugs and impaired. Likely this was the time he was caught and there were many other times that he was not caught. His arrogance speaks to that scenario.
The police dog caught him.  Police dogs are trained to stop a person and bring them down.  If the person attacks the police dog the police dog defends himself and holds on.  Police dogs don't have guns or tazers. They have teeth. One dog against one human and the human has the distinct advantage.  Dogs need a pack to be effective. Police dogs alone against a man with a skateboard are in lifethreatening situations. One whack with a skateboard can kill a dog.  Indeed a skateboard is a deadly weapon against a police man. It's a bit like that weapon the Klingons used in Star treck.  It's a lethal weapon.  If a policeman or a police dog is faced with a belligerent aggressive angry hostile man with a skateboard then the dog or the police man is at high risk.
Now this police dog bit this criminal who had committed a crime, put others at risk, whoever was in the bus, those around him, some man going wild and apeshit with a skateboard defying the police and trying to hurt a police dog, a domesticated loyal animal in the midst of a busy street with all manner of innocent people about who didn't want to be drawn into this bullies personal drama who just wanted to get on with their business.  They had to witness this horrible situation of a man with a skakeboard trying to kill a dog and the dog just doing it's duty.  The man wanted to kill the dog.  He would claim he was solely interested in his self defence.  But the fact remains he wanted to kill a police dog after he'd tried unsuccessfully to kill  bus.
He was taken to hospital by the police. His hospital care was paid for by us, the citizens who he had harmed.  CBC seems to be a law unto itself.  It doesn't realize that we as tax payers pay for it's journalists and it's coverage of the news.  We pay for city buses. And we pay the high cost of having police dogs and the high costs of having police.  The Vancouver Police Dog contingent is world reknowned.  We have the best trainers and the most humane practices.  Our police dogs are the best in the world. This man tried to destroy a bus and  would have killed a  police dog.  I would have been delighted if the CBC reported the story as a success for a dog that survived and a success for the police who stopped public damage and the man trying to harm the dog so he could get away scot free..  The CBC doesn't seem to remember that hooligans like this man destroyed the city after a silly Vancouver Canucks game. We're still waiting collectively for justice to be done in that case.
Now the best part.  This man is suing the city of Vancouver, which is us, and the CBC people who live in Vancouver too, claiming that the police should have sent a gerbil after him.  Maybe a gold fish should have been sent by the police. Maybe a chihuahua.  Anything but a german shepherd so this man could have killed a little dog and made his escape to destroy people's livelihood and threaten bus drivers, bus passengers, and police men trying to protect us from this kind of dangerous sociopathic behaviour.  I personally would suggest that the Vancouver Police get pitbulls, great danes and rottweilers rather than the toy poodles criminals would have the police have.
We still haven't seen the Canuck rioters go to jail and jail in Canada is better than what the elderly who worked all their lives often get too, even without the new jails promised.
I think CBC should be ashamed of itself.  I think it's tragic when a person gets hurt but the age old message to criminals and taking a skateboard and attacking a bus and bus driver and passengers and tax bought city property is criminal, well, 'if you can't do the time, don't do the crime'.
Hopefully this fellow will learn something from his running amok. Maybe not to do it again. Maybe others who think they should be able to destroy whenever they please will also learn that the police will stop them.  This isn't an airport incident with a man having difficulty with language and understanding and threatening three armed policemen with a paper clip holder. This is a man with a skateboard weapon swinging it about with extreme violence and prejudcie and then defying police and wanting to escape to do more destruction another day. This is the story of Lassie coming to the rescue of the police, the bus driver, the City of Vancouver and all the people who live and work here without destructiveness.
Now in a sane world this man would go to court and the judge would find that this suit was more 'mischief' and he would be required to do more time or pay more cost for continuing to defy society and believe that he has the right to destroy people's livelihood and threaten us with his skateboard.  Then use the courts for his own criminal gain. My fear is that the judge, judges not riding in buses or walking about the streets of Vancouver where normal people live in fear of dangerous men high on drugs weilding skateboard weapons or whatever else they can get their hands on.  Judges like the CBC are too often uncaring about the rest of us who walk the streets of Vancouver or don't because we are afraid of the hooligans.  We depend on the police but increasingly feel they are muzzled like this sociopathic criminal would have the dog muzzled so he could have bludgeoned the poor dog to death with his skateboard and made his escape to go on to bludgeon a police man next time.
I am hopeful for the courts.  The lawyer who took this case must be hard up for work and embarrassed.  I can only hope a judge who has walked downtown recently takes the case.  I am thankful for the Vancouver Police and the Vancouver Police Dog contingent.   I would prefer that criminals hurt in the pursuit of crimes have to pay for their healthcare.  I don't think I should have to pay for health care and know that guys who attack the police and get hurt get their health care paid for.  They could at least get a bill for the damages they do. I've been hoping to hear that the Canucks rioters will have their incomes garnisheed for the next 5 years at least to pay for some of the damages businesses and tax payers and volunteers have had to pay.
CBC stopped being silly and stupid.  The vast majority of us are not criminals and we are the ones that are paying your salary.  Stop smoking BC Bud and report the news straight.   CBC stop supporting the violence and hooligans because your cheerleader is going to policemen and citizens killed.  A note should go out if the police are called up upon to help the CBC they should bring only goldfish, gerbils and toy poodles as back up. Better too, muzzle the goldfish.