Arrests made after security guard assaulted at Courtenay hotel
COURTENAY Canada March 16 2021 — Two people have been arrested following a weekend assault on a security guard at a Courtenay hotel.
According to one of the directors of the security firm at the Travelodge Hotel in Courtenay, one of the guards was assaulted Saturday evening by two people who were not guests of the hotel.
Vali Majd says a guard was involved in an altercation with one person when a second joined in as well.
“Our guard was assaulted and he managed to control the individual who assaulted him,” Majd said. “Both of them were on the ground, but the second person came and (assaulted) him.”
Several of the Travelodge rooms are currently occupied by formerly homeless people who are being sheltered by BC Housing.
The hotel is also operating with guests from the travelling public, two of whom stepped in to assist the guard, according to Majd.
“That was great, they were very helpful and it could have been a lot worse had it not been for these two individuals,” he said. “These two individuals came to the rescue and helped pin the guy who was on the ground down while the other assaulter ran away.”
He said one of the pair was detained at the scene and the second was arrested later away from the property.
Majd said the situation for his employees is very difficult because of the pandemic.
“It’s a very complex environment, definitely,” he said. “Our business was very big, doing all of the events on Vancouver Island, everything from festivals, beer gardens, the overnighters that went with events, the movie crews,” he said.
