Global News has obtained video of a violent attack on a Crown prosecutor in Vancouver, images the victim says she wants the public to see.
The random attack happened in February, near the Vancouver Provincial Court at 222 Main Street.
The video shows a man suddenly punching the prosecutor, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, in the face. The attack happened despite the fact the prosecutor was accompanied by an unarmed security guard at the time as a part of a Crown counsel “safewalk” program.
Two women attacked, including B.C. Crown prosecutor
“The public should be aware that it’s not safe in the current circumstances in this part of town. This is a person who was going to work at 8:40 in the morning … minding her own business, and got assaulted and got injured,” said Chris Johnson, KC, who served as a special prosecutor in the case.
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“As a lawyer who frequents this courthouse, I also think it’s something the public should know about.”
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The attacker went on to punch a second woman nearby.
The prosecutor suffered a fractured orbital bone and facial nerve damage, and remains on leave as she recovers.
The court heard the attacker, 28-year-old Kenyon Thomas Lavallee, was staying in the Downtown Eastside at the time, and living with untreated mental illness and self-medicating through substance use.
Attack raises new questions about Vancouver court’s viability
Lavallee was ultimately sentenced to one year in jail, with an order that he return to Manitoba to serve out his probation once his jail time was up.
“The difference in this case was that Mr. Lavallee had only been in Vancouver for a few weeks before this incident and he actually wanted to get out of the Downtown Eastside,” said Rob Dhanu, KC, a former Crown prosecutor who was not involved with the case.
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“The thinking of the Crown, the judge and the defence in this case would be that he’s actually going to be safer back in Manitoba, there’s a better chance of his rehabilitation.”
B.C. Attorney General Nikki Sharma said the province has made several changes in the wake of the attack to ensure “this never happens again.”
Sharma said the company that supplied the security guard was no longer working with the BC Prosecution Service, and that security arrangements have been improved for staff going to and from their vehicles in the area.
“The court system is such an important part of our democracy, and people need to know when they show up they will be safe and that all the security measures that are there will keep them safe, in particular Crown counsel,” Sharma said.
Sharma said the province has also been focused on recruiting and retaining more sheriffs to staff the province’s courthouses.
