One of the organizers of the Barrhaven Canada Day festivities says he is adamant about increasing security next year.
Darrell Bartraw has said he’s considering adding fences, searches, and a ban on backpacks to the event at Clarke Fields Park after a group of over 100 young people became rowdy, with some lighting off fireworks in the crowd.
Bartraw told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Beyond the News with Brian Lilley he does not think the group was organized in any way.
“I figure just a few people came out that had fireworks and they thought it would be funny to let them out in the crowd,” he said. “Clearly they don’t know the consequences.”
But despite the fact that Bartraw believes it wasn’t coordinated, he still wants to make next year’s festivities safer.
“This pack mentality is going to happen again,” he said. “They will come back because they thought they won. I won’t be surprised if there’s even more and things have to be put in place to control it.”
The councillor for Barrhaven had some harsh words for the group.
have spoken with police. No criminal charges. Am receiving as much a report as they will give me tomorrow. Meanwhile a 35 year + event where no alcohol is served is threatened by a bunch of irresponsible losers who came with 1 purpose. Who are they?
— Jan Harder (@BarrhavenJan) July 3, 2018
“A bunch of irresponsible losers,” Jan Harder said in a tweet late Monday night.
Ottawa Police Const. Chuck Benoit told CTV News Tuesday that a 15-year-old boy was Tasered while being arrested. Officers also had to use pepper spray to disperse the crowd.
“Kids were being aggressive as well as being violent towards the police officers as they were doing their duties trying to arrest a male,” Benoit said. “There were more people involved but officers were satisfied that the group was dissolved and there were no more injuries after the fact.”
The 15-year-old who was Tasered was taken to hospital, but was later released.
No charges have been laid.
Benoit told Beyond the News Wednesday the investigation has not been closed but, because the incident involves underage people, police are proceeding with caution.
“They do certain things that they learn through life that it was wrong,” he said. “A lot of times we’re able to issue a warning and deal with them through the court system and have them do community service and other initiatives to assist the courts not to have all these youths go through the court system for criminal charges. It’s not just about charging people. It’s also about educating and stopping bad behaviour.”
Benoit could not comment on whether police were investigating to see if there was any kind of social media organizing of the youth involved beforehand. He also said he could not confirm the number of people involved in the investigation.
