Police look for motive after man is charged in bird’s death in Stanley Park
Posted August 8, 2018 10:29 am.
Last Updated August 8, 2018 4:59 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Police in Vancouver are trying to figure out the motive after looking into reports of a man using a stick to beat a Canada Goose to death in Stanley Park over the BC Day long weekend.
The incident was caught on video which has been seized as evidence.
Thirty-four-year-old Timothy Rowley of Maple Ridge has been charged with causing an animal unnecessary suffering.
The VPD says they got some 911 calls from witnesses and confirm they arrested the accused without any problems.
Sergeant Jason Robillard says the motive is unclear but they are taking a closer look at the “state of mind” of the man.
“Just looking at some of the video, it looks like if someone didn’t intervene he was going to continue on. So, I don’t know what his mental state was at the time or what provoked him or what caused it.”
He adds this incident is unsettling, not just for investigators, but especially for those who saw what happened on Monday afternoon.
“There are some issues here and we’d just like to figure out what the actual motive was and what caused this. I would consider this a serious charge and it’s quite disturbing.”
Rowley has been released but has to follow several court-ordered conditions, including not going to Stanley Park for the time being. He can’t possess weapons and he can’t have, care, contact or have custody of a bird.
“The geese and the swans in and around Stanley Park are quite adored by a lot of our park-goers and our citizens and people go there every day, so this is sad, traumatizing and unpleasant to hear and unpleasant to watch.”
Rowley is expected back in court by the end of the month.
