Overview

• The incident occurred on June 28 aboard the Spirit of British Columbia as it sailed from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay when a male passenger assaulted two crew members.
• Crew members, an off-duty police officer and fellow passengers restrained the man until RCMP officers boarded and arrested him at the Swartz Bay terminal.
• The passenger faces two counts of assault and one count of mischief and has been released under conditions ahead of his September court date.
• BC Ferries has offered support to the affected staff and opened an internal review to assess what happened and identify additional safety measures.
• The BC Ferry and Marine Workers’ Union warned that increased passenger aggression since the pandemic underscores the need for stronger crew protection policies.