'It can happen to you': Edmonton wine bar stuck with $3K in damages after police arrest
The City of Edmonton has refused to compensate a downtown business for damages following an arrest made by police in August.
According to Cheryl Voordenhout with the Edmonton Police Service, officers were searching for an armed man around midnight last summer and found the 22-year-old outside of Tzin Wine & Tapas on 104 Street.
Police set off a flash bang – an explosive device that uses bright light and loud noise to disorient people — to get the man to surrender.
The man was arrested and charged with seven offences, Voordenhout said.
'YOUR CLAIM IS DENIED'
The co-owner of Tzin Wine & Tapas, Glenn Quinn, recalled his wife being awakened by a security alert on her phone the night of the arrest.
“She saw a couple people outside on the street,” he explained. “The next thing she saw was a white van drive by and stop. There was all kinds of white flashing going off.”
Quinn’s wife went down to the restaurant around 1 a.m. to make sure everything was OK and found a card from EPS saying officers used “flash grenades” and to contact them.
There was $3,000 in damages, including two smashed windows.
The window at Tzin Wine & Tapas sustained damage following an incident involving EPS and an armed man last August. (Source: Glenn Quinn, co-owner of Tzin Wine & Tapas)
“We filed a claim with the City of Edmonton and the City of Edmonton sent us back after 180 days or something like that saying, ‘Your claim is denied,’” Quinn told CTV News Edmonton.
A review by the city found “Edmonton Police Services were acting under the scope of their duties and as such, the city cannot be held liable for damages sustained to property.”
“It's very frustrating as a small business owner and it should be frustrating to citizens of Edmonton knowing that the City of Edmonton is going to deny your claim any time the police make an arrest that causes damage,” Quinn explained.
“It certainly surprises me that a restaurant who did nothing to contribute to this whatsoever is being forced to pay for damages it had nothing to do with,” Chris Lewis, a public safety analyst for CTV, reacted.
It’s also a big bill to foot in a time when businesses are already struggling to scrape by.
“This goes back to being in a business that’s been decimated by the pandemic, so $3,000 is a lot of money,” Quinn said.
'PAY IT. GET IT OVER WITH'
The solution to this problem, according to Lewis? The city should be held accountable and reimburse the business owners.
“Pay it. Get it over with,” he said. “Why force these people to pay for something when they did nothing wrong?”
On Wednesday, Amarjeet Sohi addressed the claim and told reporters he would ask city administration to investigate.
“We’re definitely going to dig deeper into some of the procedures the city follows,” Sohi added.
“There's a problem here,” Quinn said. “It can happen to other businesses, it can happen to other taxpayers, it can happen to you.”
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Touria Izri
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Quebec judge orders bus driver to stand trial for 2023 daycare crash deaths
A judge has ordered a Quebec man to stand trial on charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of two children killed when a bus rammed into a Montreal-area daycare last year.
Trudeau's latest pre-budget pledge targets millennial moms, vowing $1B in loans for more child-care spaces
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
How do you navigate the social media minefield with your kids?
Growing fears about social media's harm have sparked lawsuits against social media companies from hundreds of school districts in the United States and now Canada. CTVNews.ca wants to know whether your children are addicted to social media or if you have concerns about their usage of platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok and X.
BREAKING Calgary officer charged after allegedly assaulting handcuffed man
A Calgary police officer has been charged after allegedly assaulting a handcuffed man two years ago.