A video shared on social media shows a man spraying a man who appears to be sleeping on the steps of a Vancouver building.
Shared to Twitter by Mike Chatwin on March 28, the video shows a man picking up the hose and walking toward the man was resting. After he sprays it on him, the man on the steps jumps up and begins to yell.
The man on the steps sounds like he's pleading "let me out" as the other man continues to spray. The man on the steps had blankets and a bicycle with him.
After a short while, the man filming interjects and tells the man spraying the hose to stop what he's doing, and also informs him that he will be calling the police. He adds that he's "calling the cops" and that it is a matter of "human rights."
Chatwin told Vancouver Is Awesome in a phone call that the incident took place at 9:45 a.m. on March 28. He said that he knows the man who was spraying the hose was the building manager because he's seen him dealing with other people around the building before.
While Chatwin was giving the man who had been sprayed some dry clothing, a person threw a golf ball at him from above.
"I don't consider what I did [giving the clothing] an especially nice thing to do. I think if you were there and didn't do that, that would just be wrong," Chatwin remarked.
"My blood was boiling."
Chatwin said he spoke to two Vancouver Police officers on the street shortly after the incident occurred.
Warning: This video below contains course language.
This is how the building manager of The Edge in Railtown is dealing with the homeless issue. Unacceptable. Excuse my language in the video, I was in shock. @CBCVancouver @CTVVancouver @GlobalBC #pandemic #coronavirus #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/edIW5usH5w
— Mike Chatwin (@mike_chatwin) March 28, 2020
And when I went out to give him some dry clothes and shoes “someone” threw a golf ball at me from above. You can see it at the beginning of video pic.twitter.com/AdXntq2jqA
— Mike Chatwin (@mike_chatwin) March 28, 2020
Cst. Tania Visintin, Media Spokesperson for the Vancouver Police, told V.I.A. in an email that officers did respond to the area of Gore Avenue and Alexander Street around 10 a.m. for a man who had been sprayed with a hose.
"An investigation is ongoing as police are speaking with both people involved," she wrote.
"The video posted is just one piece of information. As with any investigation, police need to speak to both sides without rushing to judgement."
