A man charged with assault in connection with an incident involving a mother and her toddler in Vancouver’s Chinatown is facing a total of five assault charges from incidents in June and July.
Shakwan Kelly, 27, appeared in Vancouver provincial court Nov. 23 on assault, mischief and resisting arrest charges.
He had been charged with one count of assault following the July 9 mother-and-child incident that received widespread media attention.
Lisa Monchalin, appearing for Kelly’s lawyer Jessica Dawkins, told Judge James Sutherland the defence is still figuring out whether it would be entering pleas or going to a bail hearing.
“Ms. Dawkins is aware of the pleas the Crown would accept,” Crown prosecutor Sharon Preston said.
Shortly before the alleged assault, Vancouver Police Department (VPD) officers responded to reports of a shirtless man walking in traffic and kicking cars in the area. The man allegedly kicked one car so hard that it caused a dent in one of the doors.
As officers arrived, a man took off running through Chinatown, striking and knocking over a 40-year-old mother and her toddler standing on the south side of East Pender Street near Gore Avenue. The mom struck her head and the child suffered multiple scrapes.
Kelly was arrested moments later on Main Street and was taken to jail. He was released from custody the next day after being charged with mischief, assault and obstructing a peace officer.
That release was cancelled July 21.
However, court documents show Kelly faces other assault charges. He is alleged to have assaulted two men on June 19, a woman June 20 and a third man July 19.
Kelly was arrested July 21 in Chinatown after a witness had recognized him and flagged over a VPD officer patrolling the neighbourhood.
The VPD was seeking Kelly provincewide after he had failed to show up in court July 12.
On Aug. 17, Judge James Bahen ordered Kelly be seen by a psychiatrist to determine if he was fit to stand trial. Extensions to that order have been given.
Kelly is being held at North Fraser Pretrial Centre. He returns to court Dec. 21.
