SECHELT, B.C. - The chief of the Sechelt First Nation is confident that friction with the RCMP will be resolved after a pepper spray incident sent several people to hospital, including small children.
Witnesses say officers turned on a group of people celebrating a youth soccer victory, arresting the coach of the soccer team.
Chief Stan Dixon said Tuesday there were eight or nine 13-year-olds in the back of the truck, showing off the trophy they won from a tournament over the weekend.
Police said officers were trying to stop an overloaded pickup truck and used pepper spray when the group became threatening.
"The police officer observed that the driver of the truck . . . was honking the horn of the vehicle, the youths were yelling, the vehicle was seen going through a stop sign and all were ignoring the activated emergency equipment of the police car (lights and siren),'' RCMP said in a release.
"The driver of the vehicle got out of his truck and came towards the police officer in a hostile manner. A large crowd of approximately 50 to 75 people, all yelling and some of them coming within one foot of the police officer immediately formed as he arrested the male driver for failing to stop for police.
"The crowd was becoming confrontational and other officers arrived to assist after the two police officers called for assistance.''
Police said pepper spray was used when the crowd disobeyed their order to stay back.
The 42-year-old soccer coach who was driving the truck faces several charges, including resisting arrest and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.
Dixon said he suspects the officers weren't familiar with the band's tradition of celebrating soccer victories, which he said they've been doing since the 1960s.
"These new police come in because they're here on a different job, different issue regarding a crackdown on safety driving,'' he said.
"Nobody informed them of our traditions so when they saw that pickup truck with those children on there, they just went after them and created a scene.''
RCMP were scheduled to meet with the band Tuesday. Dixon said the incident will be smoothed over because they have a good relationship with the police.
"The police should have asked and let them continue (celebrating) or follow them or join in the parade, that's what they would do in the past,'' he said.
The band is on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver.
It has about 1,000 people, with 700 living on the reserve.
The Sechelt First Nation has a strong enthusiasm for soccer. There are about seven different teams within the reserve and Dixon said the players often do well. Another group of over 21 players from the reserve had also won a tournament that same weekend.
"We're very successful in soccer,'' he said.
