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A newspaper deliveryman who was allegedly beaten by three off-duty police officers spoke for the first time Friday, recalling an attack that he charges was racially motivated.
Phil Khan, standing with his wife and young daughters, recounted the attack, first by one officer and then by three. He says he was kicked, robbed and told it was because of the colour of his skin.
“They’re telling me, you know what, we don’t like brown people,” he said. “[I'm] very afraid; I had a lot of respect for the police.”
Mr. Khan was working along Burrard Street in Vancouver around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday – delivering newspapers filled with coverage of the inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama – when he says the racially charged attack occurred.
“[He said] ‘you come here fucking now,’ [and he] pulled my kangaroo jacket [over me]… and after that he started kicking,” said Mr. Khan, 47. He said two others soon joined in, and that the men stole $200 in gas money, a cell phone, and threatened to use a Taser on him.
“When I asked for help, they told me ‘we are the police, you don’t need help. If you don’t behave, we have a Taser,’” he said. “I told them that I’m half-dead anyways, after you guys beat me up so badly, so you might as well use the Taser and then kill me.
“They kept on saying, you know, like, we’re the Vancouver police. I tell them the police don’t beat the public, someone like me, right? And they said you’re going to get it, you’re going to get it.”
Passersby intervened and called 911. Vancouver police came and arrested Mr. Khan, according to witness accounts, before releasing him and arresting three men, all off-duty officers from nearby municipalities.
“Just amazing this didn’t happen on a back lane. I would have been, like, dead today. Buried,” Mr. Khan said.
Friday, Mr. Khan had bandages on his hands and one around his head, and said the attack left him with internal injuries. He said he lost a filling and chipped a tooth, and walked softly while gripping family members for support.
Vancouver police have said there were no serious injuries.
No decision has yet been made on whether to charge the three officers, but the outcry over the attack has so far led to a Police Act investigation overseen by B.C.’s police complaints commissioner.
Friday, the public profile of the case forced Vancouver’s police chief to issue a rare statement on an ongoing investigation.
Chief Constable Jim Chu said that for the sake of preserving the public’s respect, he wanted to reassure people about the integrity of the process.
“We normally reserve any comments out of respect for the process and a reluctance to say or do anything that might influence the outcome. But for the sake of preserving the public’s respect, and belief in the integrity of that process, I believe it is important to reassure them on this matter,” he said.
“We are in the process of interviewing witnesses and examining evidence, including any video that may have been recorded. We are asking publicly that any witnesses with information about the incident please call us,” he said, adding that the case was being pursued “aggressively.”
He did not specifically address witness accounts, or Mr. Khan’s version of events.
Two officers alleged to have been involved in the incident, from the Delta and West Vancouver police departments, have been reassigned to desk duties, while an officer from New Westminster Police has been suspended with pay.
The three men spent most of Wednesday in a Vancouver jail cell before being released that evening.
The Crown is considering charges against the officers, who are all junior constables with fewer than five years experience.
Mr. Khan said he has had trouble sleeping since the attack, and will miss several days of work. His boss, Dave Breen, said Mr. Khan has been with Dolphin Delivery for 12 years.
“I feel very traumatized, very afraid now. I’ve always liked my job,” Mr. Khan said. “Now I feel very different, very afraid.”
With reports from CTV and The Canadian Press
