Mr. Chen goes to Ottawa: vigilante grocer appears before a parliamentary committee on citizen’s arrests

When Toronto grocer David Chen chased down a shoplifter, tied him up and tossed him into a van, he probably didn’t think his actions would score him a meeting with the prime minister or an appearance before a parliamentary committee. But here we are. Chen, who was charged (and eventually acquitted) for his vigilante-style apprehension of a shoplifter in 2009, appeared before a committee yesterday, as the government considers relaxing the regulations surrounding citizen’s arrests. The legislation would grant folks like Chen, who didn’t nab the shoplifter until after he’d stolen from his store, longer timeframes in which to go full-Batman on the bad guys. Still, one lawyer the Toronto Sun spoke with worried that the new law might encourage shopkeepers to take big risks. After all, is a recovered Kit Kat bar really worth the fisticuffs? Read the entire story [Toronto Sun] »