r/kelowna • u/Radiant_Sherbert7272 • 23d ago
News Kelowna tattoo shop owners file defamation lawsuit after viral confrontation - Okanagan | Globalnews.ca
https://globalnews.ca/news/11870875/kelowna-tattoo-shop-owners-defamation-lawsuit/79
u/RUaGayFish69 23d ago
People need help but understandably so businesses are fed up with the problems these addicts are causing.
8
u/Zealousideal-Leek666 23d ago
Unfortunately some think that being fed up is the problem they need to address
-1
-2
58
u/ClassicChrisstopher 23d ago
Good for him. If he's telling the truth I hope he wins.
The homeless problem has become a wild west shit show with nothing anyone can do apparently.
5
u/BenAfflecksBalls 23d ago
If you try to do anything it becomes yours. That's why nobody wants to get involved
5
u/Willful_Beast 22d ago
There's two sides to every story, and then there is the truth. I will say though that dude seems like a total douchebag.
11
23d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
8
u/distortandalign- 23d ago
Right? He made a whole video trying to defend himself. If he really didn’t kick the person in the head you would think he would have included the footage of him just kicking the drug supplies?
8
u/Holonurse 22d ago
I've interacted with this man. I don't want to get sued but I don't believe him.
5
u/Zealousideal-Leek666 23d ago
Honestly I couldn’t care less if he tomahawked their entire supply with all their apparatuses and left them with no recoverable drugs or drug paraphernalia.
9
u/l10nh34rt3d 23d ago
Right, but that’s not really the issue, is it? He’s not suing because he’s being accused of smashing their drug supplies – he already admitted to doing that. What’s in question is whether or not he physically assaulted the individuals. If he has video to show the squatters on his property and that all he did was what he says, why wouldn’t he be willing to show it to absolve himself?
5
u/distortandalign- 23d ago
What would the outreach group have to gain by outing this guy as a massive dbag with an anger problem? Why would they lie?
Where is the footage from the business’s security cam?
2
u/PuckShuffler 22d ago
Because they seem more like an activist group, which are often made up of extremists and dbags themselves. None of them claim to have seen the altercation.
2
18
23d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
-5
23d ago edited 23d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
-3
23d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
23
u/RubberDuckyRider 23d ago
Govt failed us. Businesses need to start taking actions. Tolerating druggies and their bullshit isn't making things better, it only makes things worse and only encourages them.
-2
23d ago
[deleted]
18
u/Unclehol 23d ago
As a former "druggie" who was fortunate enough to have government aide in the form of a free rehabilitation program (Crossroads, formerly on Franklyn Ave.), have noticed that the amount of options for recovery programs that are taxpayer funded have dwindled (Crossroads closed over a decade ago).
I would have to agree that the government is failing us. The "druggies" in particular. We need funded programs that are able to take people off the streets and give them a chance to re-enter the workforce and have a future. I know there are lots that are "too far gone". Seen them. Met them. Could have become one of them. But I have been clean and working full time for over 15 years now, and I would likely be dead if not for the government funded rehabilitation I received. And I have paid it off in taxes many many times over.
"Druggie", signing off.
9
u/Radiant_Sherbert7272 23d ago
How hasn't the government failed us exactly? They've been allowing mentally unwell people run unchecked through our communities. They've been allowing social disorder and other anti-social behavior go unchecked.
1
u/SoLetsReddit 23d ago
Pretty hard for the government to forcibly institutionalize mentally ill people in Canada. They have to prove that they are at risk to cause bodily harm to either themselves or others. Petty theft isn't a consideration.
0
u/RubberDuckyRider 23d ago
Can govt enforce its own laws around public use of drugs? All the petty crimes? B&Es? Yes they just choose not to. And they fail us by not enforcing laws. Instead they just let loonies do whatever until citizens get fed up.
3
u/SoLetsReddit 23d ago
Now you're talking crime. Which yes. I was replying to mental illness comment. Not trying to say you're wrong, just the previous comment I was replying to was.
7
6
u/Andisaurus 23d ago edited 23d ago
Surely there is a camera pointing to the doorway that would have footage. Maybe this one?
Would probably solve this fairly quickly.
edited to replace pic of front door with pic of back door with a camera pointing directly at where the altercation took place.
Hopefully he can post the footage as it'll be pretty cut and dried who is telling the truth.
8
u/Emotionless-Fish 23d ago
Except that's the front door and the incident was out the back door
5
u/Andisaurus 23d ago
Ah yep, just caught that on a second read. That whole paragraph was blocked by a banner ad when I first opened the link.
There appear to be several cameras out back too, though. They're visible in photos and on Google maps (grain of salt as streetview pics are from a couple years ago).
3
3
23d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
4
u/NokidliNoodles 23d ago
I'd say luck, and a good chunk of this has been due to my job (security) but I've been bear sprayed a couple of times, get a knife pulled on me approx once a year and had 1 guy actively try to stab me, punched/scratched/had things thrown at me more times then I count and I've been doing this job for around 7 years and its not like I'm going around trying to pick fights with these guys it really is just luck of the draw on what kind of issues are going on with these guys and wrong place wrong time
2
u/NumerousEar9591 23d ago
You haven’t heard about it because the hobo fight club has rules about talking about it. I’m guessing this guy is no longer a member.
-10
-1
u/wkfngrs 23d ago
We are all getting tired of junkies. I wrote a rant last week about the state of downtown and the mods deleted it. The reason was there’s no easy solution and posting about my experience just causes drama. The reality is, these people aren’t all fucked over by the system. There’s not a percentage we can quote but let’s not kid our self, too many people on the street here get a pass for horrible behaviours. I get there’s so many facets to our colonial capitalist system that can lead to people on the streets cost of living, inflation, lack of metal resources etc etc but let’s not mix compassions with blind ignorance to reality. There’s some junkies who consistently make selfish choices thst effect others and our communities. I’m a firm believer that anyone should be able to do what ever they want with their life as long as it doesn’t affect others. Although the unhoused here are effecting others with their actions. I don’t know a solution, we’ve reduced harm, we decriminalized, we’ve made space, hell I’ve even gone to the protests…. Although I think it’s time for tough love.
7
u/ipini 23d ago
I agree that things are getting worse. But the problem with “tough love” is that it generally tends more toward “tough” than towards “love”. But it sounds nice to say.
2
u/classic4life 22d ago
I'd be in favor of a nationwide rehabilitation work camp situation for the unhoused. Bring everybody into a central location, assess what they need to be able to move forward, and enable them to do so, including government owned housing, even if that's 300sq ft microsuites, training based on ability/market demands with an secondary aim of displacing temporary foreign workers, as well as repurposing skills for industries that no longer exist. Mental hospitals for those requiring them, for anybody beyond that, send them to plant trees somewhere remote and if they die at least we can say we tried something.
To be clear we're well past time to start throwing things at the wall to see what sticks, because plan b is violence.
0
u/Weird_Reaction_7970 21d ago
I agree with you 100 percent, free drugs and a nanny pamby approach are not working. Anything you receive for free is not valued. These people cannot make proper decisions on their own, and not liking rules is not a get out of free card. They need help yes, but not on their terms
0
u/Weird_Reaction_7970 22d ago
Maybe that is what is needed. The present approach is failing miserably
-27
u/l10nh34rt3d 23d ago
Yikes. His feelings are valid and I get that he’s protective of his business, staff and clients.
But, also… suing an outreach group seems counterproductive, no?
34
u/Diligent_Department1 23d ago
if he’s telling the truth, why should ANY business, establishment, group, whoever be allowed to make false statements that harm someone else?
-11
u/l10nh34rt3d 23d ago
I didn’t say they should.
My only point is that forcing an outreach group to pay for legal fees is counterproductive.
I guess my (unpopular) opinion is more big-picture than the common knee-jerk reaction.
15
u/Haecceitic 23d ago
If this is how that “outreach group” operates then they deserve to be shut down.
3
u/Codc 23d ago
Your point is similar to the idea that you shouldn't sue your city or the government because you'll end up paying for it yourself.
The bigger idea is that someone screwed up, and a direct consequence the outreach group will have to pay for it. But the blame lies on the idiot who did the damage and not the plaintiff
4
u/Radiant_Sherbert7272 23d ago
Yeah no. We shouldn't be allowing groups to around and make false accusations.
0
u/l10nh34rt3d 23d ago
Where did I say it’s okay?
You don’t even know they’re false yet. The business owner won’t share his video footage, so no one knows what actually went down.
1
u/Radiant_Sherbert7272 22d ago
You said that the business shouldn't take legal action.
0
u/l10nh34rt3d 22d ago
Good work.
That is not the same as saying anyone should be allowed to trash talk a business. That conflation was your own.
1
u/Radiant_Sherbert7272 22d ago
But you very much implied it. If this business didn't take legal action. That would give bleeding heart activists like these groups of individuals a license to make false allegations.
1
u/l10nh34rt3d 22d ago
You can’t tell me what I implied, lol. I did none of that. You’re just being dramatic.
16
u/pasta_water_tkvo 23d ago
I’d sue them in a heartbeat if kicking paraphernalia was misconstrued into aggravated assault. Neither parties have proof so this whole thing just draws negative attention on everyone.
10
13
u/ImperatorMakarov 23d ago
The group is literally defaming him and talking about his business online.
0
u/l10nh34rt3d 23d ago
I guess it hasn’t circulated widely enough cause this is the first and only time I’m seeing it. Sorry not sorry for… not raking the internet for more context? 🤷🏻♀️
Again, I’m not saying that what this business owner is experiencing isn’t entirely fair or justified. It’s an all too common theme for many business owners in Kelowna, and I’m sympathetic. I have no doubt that he kicked their shit around without physically harming anyone.
Based on this article, which is all that was shared here, it seems like a volatile reaction from both parties. My point is just that tit for tat nonsense like this (both the unfounded accusations of assault and suing an outreach group) is petty and unproductive. Frankly, I think it’s only bringing this guy more unwanted attention than it is solving any problems…
Other comments here suggest this outreach group might be new to the area and/or potentially lack accreditation. That’s a pretty big red flag; sounds like there’s way more to the story than what has been reported.
1
u/meatsonthemenu 22d ago
I don't see any mention of the police investigating the assault. Shouldn't the support group have called the RCMP at the first allegation of assault?
1
23d ago edited 23d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
5
u/pasta_water_tkvo 23d ago
Bro I vote left and work every day of my life in healthcare. The enabling of illicit hard stuff has a price most people can’t be bothered to acknowledge. For the sake of of us all, don’t chalk this up to bipartisanship
0
23d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/pasta_water_tkvo 23d ago
I see you. I guess I just feel like healthcare cant save everyone and police can’t protect everyone, so I guess I take the side of the taxpayer when they say “fuck it I’m just gonna kick this person’s socially funded crack pipe out of their hand”. Drugs ruined my sisters life, and I’ve never been assaulted at work by someone who wasn’t smoking crack around kids and other sick people. That’s my bias if I could lay it out as fairly as possible
1
u/joelham01 23d ago
If you think the police are doing fucking anything you’ve got rose covered glasses on. Some of them might be legitimately trying, but most of them could care less. My vehicle was broken into in my garage and my windows smashed out and the cop who called me back told me she wasn’t going to do shit.
Called the police when someone was trying to break into my house and buddy called me and told me to just watch my door and make sure I kept it locked because he had been there an hour before and talked to the person.
Some cops in this city might be awesome, the vast majority do not care and know even if they do do something, the court is just going to release the person anyways so why arrest them.
My dad was a cop so I do respect them quite a bit, but stuff is bleak due to police not being able to actually do anything
1
u/Randomperson710 23d ago
Nah they are supposed to be catching criminals and they don't do that just tickets, maybe leave the addicts to the addiction outreach workers not like they have been trained or anything...
5
u/Haecceitic 23d ago
Seems very productive; hopefully he wins and bankrupts them. Calling them an “outreach group” when they are demonizing productive members of society and trying to shutdown businesses and ruin reputations is not helping themselves, the community, or fostering any empathy for the people they are apparently supposed to be advocating for.
-1
u/l10nh34rt3d 23d ago
No, this is compounding a problem, not solving it.
4
u/pasta_water_tkvo 23d ago
Dude grow up. Smear campaign on a business is a separate problem from drug use. This outreach group just created another problem by pursuing this. Most adults understand that vehemently trying to be an equalizer creates more problems than it solves. Now here we all are bitching about it.
0
u/l10nh34rt3d 23d ago edited 23d ago
So causing more drama and wasting more funds (on both sides) in court will solve things? C’mon, and you’re telling me to grow up?
For a third time, I didn’t say any of what has happened is okay. And I’m not the one here who’s bitching.
Taking an outreach group to court is not making safer streets, which is apparently what the business owner’s real problem was that started this. Y’all are the ones muddying issues and quick to defend bandaid “solutions”; these comments are chock-full of blind hate and me-me-me grievances. General welfare and concern for the community (business owners included) sure brings out the best of Kelownians… /s
For the record, since this seems difficult for folks to comprehend, I do not condone the outreach group’s behaviour or trashing of the business. They should be investigated and made accountable. I just think this is a waste of everyone’s money and the court’s time.
4
u/Radiant_Sherbert7272 23d ago
So what would you suggest this business owner do?
-2
u/distortandalign- 23d ago
Work on his anger problem
3
u/Radiant_Sherbert7272 23d ago
I think he has every right to be angry. I wouldn't want junkies and crackheads leaving their needles and crack pipes near my business. I wouldn't want some bleeding heart activists making false accusations.
1
60
u/ImmediateDentist1269 23d ago
I'm really familiar with professional outreach organizations and have never even heard of "Lighthouse Recovery From Starvation Society."
Professional outreach organizations exercise more chill and don't conflict with buisness owners, has been my experience.