EV charging station altercation leads to the discovery of more than clean energy

Shortly before 7:30 pm on October 9, 2021, frontline Richmond RCMP officers responded to an EV charging station located in the 4600 block of No. 3 Road for a weapons call. It is alleged that a 59-year old Vancouver man, who was charging his electric vehicle at a public EV charging station, was threatened with violence. A fulsome investigation by the Richmond Mobile Enforcement Team (RMET) resulted in swift arrest of two individuals and the seizure of individually packaged drugs and an 18 cm (7 inch) knife.

On August 9, 2022, charges were approved by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada against a man and a woman.

Gurleen Singh (male), 22, of New Westminster, is charged with:

1 count unlawfully possessing a controlled substance, Fentanyl, for the purposes of trafficking, contrary to Sec. 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act

1 count unlawfully possessing a controlled substance, Cocaine, for the purposes of trafficking, contrary to Sec. 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act

1 count unlawfully possessing a controlled substance, Methamphetamine, for the purposes of trafficking, contrary to Sec. 5(2) of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act

Bo Ni Zhao (female), 31, of New Westminster, is charged with:

1 count uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm contrary to sec. 264.1(1)(a) of the Criminal Code

The safety of our community is always of paramount concern. In this instance, what may have started as a minor altercation at an EV charging station escalated into a dangerous situation requiring police, says Inspector Mark Baxter, Richmond RCMP.