A 54-year-old Chilliwack tractor driver has been charged with three criminal counts after multiple collisions with a BC Highway Patrol vehicle during a protest one year ago.
The tractor driver received serious injuries and a police officer received minor injuries as a result of the collision.
On December 9, Malkiat Singh “Bill” Shoker was charged with the following:
- Dangerous operation of a conveyance
- Flight while pursued by a peace officer
- Assaulting a police officer with a weapon
Shoker was arrested on December 18 and his next appearance will be in Surrey Provincial Court on January 16, 2025.
BACK in November 2023, The VOICE reported: “The farmer who led the RCMP on a chase on his John Deere tractor on Highway 1 in Surrey on Saturday [November 25] has been identified on social media as Bill Shoker of Shoker Farms Ltd. in Chilliwack.
“Shoker posted videos on his Facebook page and said he was protesting against SOGI 123.
“In one video he says: “I would like all the parents watching this … if you love your children, please support this cause before it is too late. Thank you.”
Shoker ended up flipping his tractor. He also reportedly damaged an RCMP cruiser. He was arrested.
“His wife told the media that her husband was in hospital and was to undergo surgery.”
The BC RCMP at the time announced that they had notified the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) of the incident in Surrey where a man suffered injuries.
They said: “On Saturday, November 25, at approximately 1:20 p.m., officers with the British Columbia Highway Patrol attempted to pull over a tractor which was travelling westbound on Highway 1 near the 176 street turn off.
“Officers had reportedly attempted to pull the tractor over for an extended period while it was part of a convoy that was heading to Vancouver.
“During the interaction, the tractor and police vehicle collided, the tractor inverted, and came to a rest on its side, resulting in the driver suffering non-life-threatening injuries. He remains in hospital.”
In February, the IIO BC said that it had determined that there were no reasonable grounds to believe any police officer may have committed an offence in connection to the serious harm that one man sustained during a motor vehicle incident involving a tractor in Surrey.
The Chief Civilian Director reviewed the evidence – civilian witness statements, forensic scene analysis, video footage, medical records, and police information – in the case.
The IIO BC said that due to concurrent court proceedings related to the incident, its public report would not be released on the IIO website until that process had concluded.
READ ALSO:
Farmer Bill Shoker of Chilliwack flips his tractor while protesting against SOGI 123 (Monday update)
