West Vancouver police say the person at the wheel of a Mustang who did a burnout on a brand new rainbow crosswalk will face Motor Vehicle Act charges, but not criminal charges.
On July 8, police released surveillance video of the incident and asked for the public’s help in identifying the driver. At the time, police were concerned it may have been a hate crime. The crosswalk, which was an initiative by West Vancouver police members for Pride Month, had only been unveiled June 30 at 16th Street at Esquimalt Avenue.
The suspect, who is under the age of 18, later turned himself in, said Const. Kevin Goodmurphy, West Vancouver police spokesman.
“It’s our belief now, having interviewed this young person, that a mistake was made. We have no evidence to suggest that a hate crime took place, that any hateful behaviour towards a specific group, LGBTQ2S+ or otherwise, took place when this vehicle was driven in this manner. This person was issued violation tickets as opposed to charged criminally," he said.
West Vancouverites have been supportive of the crosswalk since it was installed, Goodmurphy said last week.
“The crosswalk itself was a very meaningful piece and it stands and will continue to stand as a symbol of our commitment to promote diversity and inclusion,” he said.
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