The City of Courtenay’s mayor is speaking out after a patio attack went viral in a private Facebook group chat.
The video posted showed what appeared to be a homeless woman using expletive language attack an employee at the High Tide Public House and another unidentified person before being restrained by another person.
Mayor Bob Wells said he reached out to the employee who was attacked to check in how they were doing after the disappointing assault.
“It’s absolutely distressing when you see anybody being attacked in anyway, it’s not something you obviously want to have happen in your community.”
Wells added he also reached out to the person who restrained the woman as well as Greg Chadwick, executive director of the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association regarding the attack.
While he worried about the person who stepped in to hold off the woman, Wells said he was glad to see the community come together and take steps to help each other.
Homeless encampments have been in and around Courtenay for more than a decade, and Wells said they’ve been pushing the government to combat the issue.
“We’ve been steadfast in our requests to make sure the province gets adequate funding and resources so we can address challenges not just in our community but across the province.”
Wells said he hopes to get people experiencing homelessness off the streets and give them the support they need whether it’s for mental health issues or substance abuse.
The woman was quickly arrested by Comox Valley RCMP Bike Unit members soon after the incident.
