The Aporia · Vancouver officer tells Myles Gray hearing of ‘unnerving’ call for help

Vancouver officer tells Myles Gray hearing of ‘unnerving’ call for help

Read the original at The Globe and Mail ↗

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The Canadian Press. (2026, October 16). Vancouver officer tells Myles Gray hearing of ‘unnerving’ call for help. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-vancouver-officer-tells-myles-gray-hearing-of-unnerving-call-for-help/

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

Quick Summary

At a public hearing into the 2015 fatal arrest of Myles Gray in Vancouver, Constable Beau Spencer described an urgent radio call from colleague Constable Hardeep Sahota as "unnerving." Spencer testified about hearing what he called an “animalistic roar” and feeling anxious upon approaching the scene. Seven Vancouver officers are being investigated for potential misconduct during the incident; no criminal charges have been filed despite findings of significant injuries sustained by Gray, including a fractured eye socket and crushed voice box. The current hearing follows an earlier disciplinary process deemed "strangely lopsided" due to inconsistencies in officer statements.

Written by AI on 2026-10-16, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

In a public hearing in Vancouver, police officer Const. Eric Birzneck testified on October 13, 2026, that during Myles Gray's fatal arrest in 2015, Gray displayed extraordinary strength and charged at him, yelling "the Charlies are coming" and disregarding the officer’s badge authority. After deploying pepper spray without incapacitating Gray, Birzneck believed he was about to be assaulted. The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner launched this hearing to determine if seven officers used unnecessary force during the incident.

On October 15, Const. Birzneck further stated that he did not believe Gray had any lawful right to resist police use of force at the time of the encounter since Gray was "arrestable." No criminal charges have been filed over Gray's death, which a 2023 coroner’s inquest ruled as a homicide but without assigning legal blame.

On October 16, Const. Beau Spencer testified that he received an “unnerving” call for help from colleague Const. Hardeep Sahota regarding Gray and heard an "animalistic roar" over the radio. Spencer described Gray as the strongest person he encountered in his 15-year career and said officers were exhausted trying to subdue him, leading him to use significant force against Gray.

Written for “Myles Gray Police Hearing” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

Vancouver officer says Gray showed 'Hulk-like' strength before fatal arrest Same event

Toronto Star

Hedges 2 of 36 claims Outlet record 64/100

Vancouver officer tells hearing Myles Gray was strongest man encountered in career Same event

Toronto Star

Hedges 3 of 26 claims Outlet record 64/100

Myles Gray not lawfully entitled to repel police during arrest, Vancouver officer says Different event

The Globe and Mail

Hedges 1 of 8 claims Outlet record 52/100

“The articles describe different officers' testimonies at the same hearing but focus on distinct aspects and events during the arrest.”

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

0 of 8 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

52/100

The Globe and Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Crime & Law

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Analyzed 2026-10-16 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Globe and Mail · 1030 article(s) · 35 correction(s) detected

Running correction rate · 35 correction(s)

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Who wrote this

The Canadian Press

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Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.

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All 486 articles by The Canadian Press →

Topics

B.C. Police Complaint Commissioner Vancouver Vancouver Police Department

Subjects

Gray PERSON · 4× Vancouver GPE · 2× B.C. GPE · 1× Beau Spencer PERSON · 1× Hardeep Sahota PERSON · 1× Myles Gray PERSON · 1× Police Complaint Commissioner ORG · 1× Spencer PERSON · 1× Vancouver Police Department ORG · 1×

Narrative

The commissioner’s notice of public hearing said an earlier disciplinary process had dismissed misconduct allegations, but the discipline authority found the process “strangely lopsided” and had to decide the case despite “discrepancies and inconsistencies in statements made by (Vancouver Police Department) members.”

framing: assertive · carried by 2 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-16

2026-10-16 · The Globe and Mail

Vancouver officer tells Myles Gray hearing of ‘unnerving’ call for help · assertive framing

2026-10-16 · Toronto Star

Vancouver officer tells hearing Myles Gray was strongest man encountered in career · assertive framing

Claims (8 extracted, 0 hedged)

A Vancouver police officer has told a public hearing into the fatal arrest in 2015 of Myles Gray about an “unnerving” call for assistance from a colleague who had encountered the man. asserted

who → tell → man

Const. Beau Spencer says he knew Const. Hardeep Sahota and her tone of voice on the radio call raised immediate concern, while an “animalistic roar” he later heard as he and his partner headed to the scene was like nothing he had ever heard on a police radio. asserted

he → say → radio

Spencer is among seven Vancouver officers facing a public hearing set off by B.C.’s Police Complaint Commissioner into whether they committed misconduct during the confrontation. asserted

they → face → confrontation

He says in his second day of testimony that he and his partner were “quite anxious” to get to the scene, as radio calls from there “continued to escalate.” asserted

calls → say → scene

He says another call came in when three officers were on the scene, and it did not sound like the person they were dealing with was “under control” and this was “very concerning.” asserted

this → say → control

No charges have been laid over Gray’s death, which a 2023 coroner’s inquest ruled was a homicide, a term that does not assign legal blame. asserted

that → lay → blame

process → say → members

The earlier inquest heard Gray was left with injuries that included a fractured eye socket, crushed voice box and ruptured testicles, while a paramedic said Gray’s bruising was so severe, he initially thought Gray was not a white man. asserted

Gray → hear → socket