Mayor of metro Vancouver claims tension brought on by transition from RCMP to municipal force got worse over the past weekend.
Dough McCallum stated that he had just had his automobile parked at a local grocery store parking lot, surrey, last Saturday when things happened.
He informed local media that he got out of his parked car and walked along the side to get to the other side where the entrance was located, which is when a car drove up to him quite fast. He added that he was pinned in, could not get out. The woman sent a few expletives in his direction quite loudly, he said.
He did not say exactly what the woman said, only that she yelled at him, noting that it amounted to name-calling and obscenities.
McCallum added that she accosted him for about four minutes, and when people started gathering, she sped off. He said that she stepped on it, made a right turn and hit his knee and hip while she was at it, and also ran over his foot.
He stated that he decided to pick up groceries before heading to the hospital for checkup.
Through email communication with local media, the woman issued her side of the story. She asked that remains anonymous as the matter is with police.
She stated that her presence at the Save-On-Food south Point Mall was because she had come to collect signatures for the sake of a petition to hold a referendum on the issue of policing in the surrey area. Her intention was to canvass for the Surrey Police Vote Citizens Initiative that is calling for a referendum regarding transition from the RCMP to a Police service.
She added that she only asked the McCallum to resign, and that it is he who went to the passenger side of her car. She added that there is not point, in their exchange at which she hit him.
McCallum also had a not so friendly interaction with one Ivan Scott, another volunteer for the referendum movement. Scott said the mayor approached and said they were not allowed to be at that parking lot, adding that he could easily have them removed.
In response, Scott noted that he had permission from the store’s manager to be there, adding that the only possible reason McCallum was at the Grocery store was to inform them to leave.
McCallum’s version was quite different from the way Scott had described it. He said that Scott approached him, and that he wasn’t aware referendum movement was there until Scott approached.
Surrey police said they are looking into this matter, but did not say more.
