North Shore News January 18 2012

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

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Former WV police chief owned home hit by arson Benjamin Alldritt balldritt@nsnews.com

THE West Vancouver house that was targeted by an arsonist last Friday was, until recently, the home of Scott Armstrong, a former West Vancouver police chief constable. The early morning blaze caused extensive damage to the building in the 1000-block of Lawson Avenue before firefighters extinguished it. One person was taken to hospital. Later that day, Sgt. Peter Thiessen, spokesman for the Lower Mainland District RCMP, said the arson was linked to a series of 14 violent incidents, including shootings and other arsons. In each case, the victim had some connection to the Justice Institute, which trains paramedics and law enforcement personnel. Police believe an ICBC employee used the insurance company’s database to obtain personal information of about 65 people who worked or studied at the institute, including the 14 victims. Armstrong sold the Lawson Avenue house earlier this month. Armstrong was West Vancouver’s top cop from February of 2006 until December 2006.

Jump for joy

NEWS photo Paul McGrath

GRACE, 12, and George Owen, 3, get airborne Saturday at Boulevard Park in North Vancouver after the first snowfall of the year at lower elevations. Tobogganers and boarders improvised some moguls in order to add some thrills to their rides.

No jail time for W. Van teen stabber

Jane Seyd jseyd@nsnews.com

A teenaged boy who attacked a fellow high school student, stabbing him four times with a knife before a crowd of horrified onlookers at West Vancouver secondary, will not face jail time for his actions. The teen — now 17 — will instead be put on two years’ probation, including six months under a daily curfew, following a sentencing on charges of aggravated assault and threatening, in North Vancouver provincial court. Judge Doug Moss called it a difficult decision, noting the stabbing was serious, violent and premeditated.

Victim stabbed 4 times in front of onlookers, taunted in ambulance

But he concluded both the teen and society would be better served in the long term by keeping him out of jail. The attack, which took place before shocked students and teachers, happened on the morning of Oct. 29, 2010, when the teen ran up to his victim near the West Vancouver high school’s “smoke pit” and attacked him from behind. The teen obviously did not care who saw him, the judge noted, and ignored a teacher who told him to stop, continuing “his violent rampage.” After he was pulled off the victim, the teen took off,

leaving the boy he attacked bleeding heavily on the ground. He was arrested soon after at home, but not before he called the victim on his cellphone, while he was in the ambulance being rushed to hospital. The attacker left a taunting comment: “Hey, how do you feel about the whole thing now?” Under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, neither the stabber nor his victim can be named. The boy who was attacked was hospitalized for several days with serious injuries, including a punctured lung. A high-school friend who witnessed the attack performed first aid and likely saved the victim’s life. The night before the attack, the attacker and victim had See Depressed page 3 ®™ Trademark of AIR MILES International Trading B..V. Used under licence by LoyaltyOne, Inc. and Craftsm man Collision Lttd.

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