For many people, witnessing an arrest being made by police is not an everyday occurrence.
And, as was the case for Richmond senior Maggie McLean on Monday evening, the experience can be somewhat upsetting.
McLean watched on as a distressed, bare-footed and apparently autistic youth was arrested by three Mounties outside Safeway at the Seafair Mall on No. 1 Road around 7 p.m. Although she had no idea what led to the arrest, McLean said she was "shocked and saddened" to see such an arrest being made.
After watching the youth being taken away in the police car, she contacted the News in a bid to find out why the arrest was necessary and where members of the public should go if they're worried or concerned about what they've witnessed.
Richmond RCMP spokeswoman Const. Adriana Peralta had no details regarding that specific arrest, but she said officers do have training to deal with people with special needs, including autism. She added if anyone has concerns about the conduct of an officer, they should contact Richmond RCMP's professional standards department at 604-278-1212.
