Party host handed $2,300 COVID-19-related fine after guests became 'belligerent': West Vancouver police

A man was slappedwith a $2,300 fine for hosting a party at the business in West Vancouver where he works, after several people he described as clientsbecame aggressive and threatening to officers late last Friday, police say.

Const. Kevin Goodmurphy said officers were called to the 1400-block of Clyde Avenue just after 11p.m.PTon Jan. 8,after someone reported hearing a loud party coming from an unnamed business.

Goodmurphy saidthe host, 40, was not co-operative with police andrefused to ask theguests to leave, saying they were clients.

A short time later, the officers approached three of the partygoerswho appeared to be intoxicated and werestanding outside the business, Goodmurphy said.

When two of thosethree people were unco-operativeand refused to let police look inside, officers decided to fine the host, Goodmurphy said.

"Theyactually became belligerent,started posturing physically at the officers," he said.

Goodmurphyconfirmed the partyhostworksat the business, and he was finedunder the COVID-19 Related Measures Act for hosting an unlawful gatheringcontrary toprovincial health orders.

"This seems to be a situation where the attendees thought because they were in business together, that they were not subject to the restrictions," saidGoodmurphy.

West Vancouver police says it hasissued eighttickets under the COVID Related Measures Act and 10 tickets under the Quarantine Act since the beginning of March last year.