A parking lot dispute quickly turned into a full-blown brawl this past Sunday in Richmond when two groups of people got into a violent altercation at a busy Asian supermarket, ahead of Lunar New Year.
The fight was caught on video and was quickly posted to the Chinese social media WeChat, where it attracted thousands of clicks and comments within the day.
The incident started when two groups of people tried to secure a parking spot at the grocery store, Foody World at 3000 Sexsmith Road on Sunday around noon. The lot was particularly busy with shoppers preparing to welcome the Year of the Tiger.
In the video uploaded by Snow Goose Media, a woman is seen using her umbrella to attack another elderly woman in a grey jacket. The victim appears to grab the umbrella, but another woman in a black Canada Goose jacket jumps in and starts pulling the hair of the older woman.
Meanwhile, a man is seen on top of another male on the ground, yelling and throwing punches at him.
The incident was witnessed and recorded by a YouTuber, who didn’t want to use her name but said her channel is Snow Goose Media.
She told the Richmond News that it appeared two families were involved in the incident -- a mother with her daughter and son versus an elderly couple. At the end of the video, a security guard can be seen running into the mayhem to break it up.
The security guard then called the police, according to the YouTuber.
The video went viral on WeChat and provoked dozens of comments, one reading (in translation): “The incident is such a disgrace to other Chinese immigrants.” Another comment reads: “We are so thankful that handguns are banned in Canada. Otherwise, this incident could have turned out to be even more awful.”
Richmond RCMP spokesperson confirmed they attended the scene, but said none of the parties involved had any history of violence, and no one was significantly injured in the altercation.
“Frontline officers cautioned everyone involved, and each offered an apology before agreeing to go their separate ways. No formal charges are being considered at this time,” read an email from RCMP.
