Cold Lake council hears about alleged teen assault at Energy Centre
Her son was reportedly attacked by a group of boys and girls, resulting in a broken wrist.
"My son was attacked at the Energy Centre [on May 31]. And his wrist has been broken when he was jumped by a group of boys and girls," Shibata told council. She described how her son and his friend were targeted while they were sitting together, explaining, a group of kids “started calling him [a racial slur], kicking him, hitting him - and there was no security.”
Shibata expressed frustration over the lack of security at the event, stating, "They had to call in the peace officers. I've heard from the staff that they've asked and requested in the past for security. I don't know why there was no security provided."
The event, "Teens’ Night Out," was hosted by the Energy Centre at the Reid Field House from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. It cost $5 to enter and was meant for youth between the ages of 13 to 18.
She emphasized the importance of security at such events, especially given the large number of attendees. "This was an event, a teen event for 100 kids. So, I don't understand why there was no security for all, not just my son, for all the children."
She detailed the severity of the incident, noting that her son "almost got tossed over a railing. He could have died."
Mayor Craig Copeland responded to Shibata's concerns, expressing regret over the incident.
"First of all, I'd like to say on behalf of the council and everybody at the City of Cold Lake, we're sorry that your son was a victim of an attack at the Energy Centre. I didn't realize that we didn't have any security, so... we’ll review that."
He acknowledged the financial constraints of maintaining full-time security but recognized the need to reevaluate the City’s approach to event safety.
Shibata suggested that if security cannot not be provided, parents should be informed.
"I'm not saying that you need security 24 hours. However, when you're holding events where it involves teens going there from 13 to 18, and you're providing the events... [the City should] inform parents that there will be no security."
Copeland agreed, stating, "That sounds very reasonable. I wasn't often aware that we didn't have security. We do have for all the adult events that go on at the Energy Centre, so it could have been a judgment call that the kids are going to behave themselves. But I think we'll be reviewing that, and if we have to build that into the cost, then we will, right? Or like you said, don't host any events at the Energy Centre."
RCMP investigating
Cpl. Matthew Howell from the Alberta RCMP provided an update on the investigation.
"There was a complaint that came in on June 3 with regards to a youth that had been assaulted. With regards to the investigation, it is ongoing."
He explained the process of obtaining and reviewing video footage and conducting interviews with the youth involved.
Howell stressed the importance of thorough and proper investigation procedures, noting, "Investigations, in order to be done properly, do often take time. Unless we catch someone literally in the act of doing stuff, we have to gather the proper evidence in order to make sure that we make a proper and lawful arrest."
Howell also noted a delay due to a wait time for the Zebra Centre in Edmonton to interview the teen.
"We have done an interview with one of the parents of the youth. The interview hasn't been done with the youth yet just because whenever there's a youth involved, we try as much as possible to use our Zebra interview center," Howell explained.
"They specialize in interviews with youth, and it just allows for a better interview process. When it comes to courts and the actual legal aspect of an investigation, the Zebra interviews are not only more valid, but there's less of a chance that there is a mistake made during the interview when it comes to youth," he added.
Howell wanted to assure the family that their complaint was being taken seriously.
Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeland This Week
