Just after midnight on Saturday, September 9, a 20-year-old male was assaulted at front entry of the Fraternity Village. After attempting to subdue the attacker, who brandished a small knife after he was denied entry into the Village, the victim sustained non-life threatening injuries to his leg, say police.
According to the RCMP, a 16-year-old youth from Vancouver has been charged with assault with a weapon causing bodily harm. The accused and the victim had no prior relationship.
“We denied [the accused] entry due to his combative behaviour and verbally aggressive demeanour,” said Jeriah Newman, president of the Inter-Fraternity Council (IFC), which represents all fraternities on campus. He said the accused appeared to be heavily intoxicated.
The situation was de-escalated by five members of the IFC as soon as they noted the demeanour of the accused, and the RCMP was called. Newman said he is thankful that the members at the scene recognized the situation before it could move further and dealt with it appropriately. He said the injuries of the fraternity member are minor, and that the member is doing okay.
The Inter-Fraternity Council hires professional security at select stations around the Village. According to Newman, since the attack they have tripled security and are in talks with UBC administration and stakeholders to discuss the potential of turning the Village into a gated community.
“The IFC takes the security of our members and our guests very seriously,” said Newman. “We want to assure students that they are safe attending any social events put on by the fraternities.”
“The incident is still under investigation,” University RCMP Sgt. Drew Grainger said in an email to The Ubyssey. “The youth accused has been released from custody under court ordered conditions.”
This is a developing story, and will be updated as more information becomes available.