ON Sunday, June 23 at approximately 2:30 p.m., a witness in the 400-block of Columbia Street dialed 9-1-1 after seeing a customer assault a staff member of a local business. The witness described seeing the staff member being struck in the face by the customer. The passerby and another customer at the store restrained the suspect before police arrived and took the suspect into custody.

Officers on the scene provided immediate aid to the injured staff member, who declined transportation to the hospital. The New Westminster Police expressed their gratitude to the two individuals who rushed to assist this staff member.

“Customer service staff deserve a safe working environment,” said Sgt. Andrew Leaver on Tuesday. “The actions of these two citizens show they feel the same way. They were quick thinking and brave to intervene.”

The suspect was transported to the New Westminster Police Department cells. The investigation is ongoing. If you witnessed this incident and have not yet spoken to police about what you saw, you’re asked to call 604-525-5411 and reference file 24-10174.