Two men from Maple Ridge have been charged for participating in the Stanley Cup riot.
Jeff Post and Connor Epp, both 20, are among 25 suspected rioters who’ve had criminal charges approved against them by Crown today.
“We are very encouraged by the approval of these 61 charges and we will continue to work closely with the special prosecution team as even more charges are expected in the coming days and weeks,” said Insp. Les Yeo, who leads the Integrated Riot Investigation Team.
Post and Epp both face one count each of participating in a riot and another of mischief.
The charges come five months after the June 15 rampage that erupted after the Vancouver Canucks lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals to the Boston Bruins.
Onlookers shot video and photos on cellphones and posted them on social media, fueling what has become a massive crowd-sourced police investigation.
The Integrated Riot Investigation Team examined more than 5,000 hours of video to build the cases against the first 60 people.
The police reports on each suspected rioter are all over 500 pages long.
“Having seen the incredible amount of work that went into the investigation on the front end, I realize what this Crown team was up against when we delivered the 163 charges for approval,” said Yeo.
VPD officials have called the night of mayhem the largest crime spree in B.C. and say several hundred suspects could ultimately be prosecuted.
Dozens came forward and confessed after being outed on social media.
Maple Ridge teenager Nathan Kotylak, who confessed on TV, is not among the rioters charged.
Kotylak, who was 17 at the time, was caught on camera trying to light a police car on fire, setting a garbage can on fire, and smacking a girl on her breasts.
The now-suspended junior national water polo player was first identified online through Facebook by people who recognized him.
He made a tearful public apology two days after the riot and chose to waive the protection afforded to him as a young offender.
Charges approved
– with files from Jeff Nagel
