A 26-year-old man seen trying to burst out of the prisoner’s box in a Chilliwack courtroom is facing two charges of assaulting a peace officer and one charge of escaping from lawful custody.
But Kristopher Thomas Bradley Vandenbrink didn’t get far when he tried to push past a female deputy sheriff on April 8 through the open door of the prisoner’s box in courtroom 204.
Witnesses in the room at the time said another deputy who happened to be in the courtroom rushed to Vandenbrink, who is listed at 6’1” and 190 pounds, and took him to the ground returning him to custody.
Not sure if you heard yet @bcgeu but today a deputy was hit hard when an accused tried to flee from custody out of courtroom 204 at the #Chilliwack courthouse. I wasn’t there but I’m told she was back at work soon after. I wonder how often sheriffs face violence at courthouses?
— Paul J. Henderson (@PeeJayAitch) April 9, 2019
Vandenbrink has a bit of a history clashing with officers doing their jobs. He was in custody on April 8 having recently been arrested, his face appearing in the March 22 Crime Stoppers wanted ad in The Progress facing numerous charges, including ones involving resisting arrest.
He was in court April 8 facing charges connected to three files. One is a charge of dealing with identity document without lawful excuse and a breach from Jan. 21 connected to a conviction on similar counts from 2017 when he was also charged with wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer.
But he also faces a charge of possess/use stolen credit card, possession of stolen property under $5,000, wilfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer, and two breaches from Nov. 20, 2018. And he is charged with identity theft and fraud from Feb. 13 of this year.
Vandenbrink is due next in court May 21 for an appearance on those three files. The date will likely be considered his first appearance on the peace officer assaults and escaping lawful custody charge, which was only recently approved by Crown counsel.
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@PeeJayAitch
paul.henderson@theprogress.com
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