VPD Chief Constable's Commendation: Constables Viet Hoang, Jeannie Kwan, and Clayton Richardson
Channel: Vancouver Police Department
Date: 15/03/2019

In the early evening of January 29, 2017, three Vancouver Police constables responded to a report of a distraught man throwing a table out of his front window. When they arrived, they entered the house and went upstairs to talk to the man. Unbeknownst to them, the man was waiting in a dark room to ambush them.

Constable Viet Hoang was the first through the door when the man immediately, and without warning, leapt toward him and plunged a knife into the centre of his chest. Thanks to the constable’s protective vest, he survived what could have been a fatal blow to his heart.

Constable Hoang reached for his gun, but it was impossible to use it in such close quarters and in the dark. He grabbed the man’s knife-wielding arm to try to gain control. Constables Jeannie Kwan and Clayton Richardson joined the struggle, as the man thrashed around, waving the knife. 

The officers subdued the man, and he was taken to hospital to receive the help he needed.

For their courageous response in a dynamic and life-threatening situation, Constables Viet Hoang, Jeannie Kwan, and Clayton Richardson were awarded the Chief Constable’s Commendation.