Warning: The video shared with Castanet contains disturbing footage that may be distressing to some viewers.
UPDATE 12 p.m.
Castanet News has obtained surveillance footage of an altercation between a downtown Kelowna cafe owner and patron on Saturday afternoon.
David Dong, owner of the Blenz Coffee inside the Innovation Centre on Doyle Avenue, approached Castanet this week to share claims that he was the victim of a racist assault inside his store.
He claimed a woman hurled racism and a pair of metal jugs at him when he declined to provide her with free water.
Surveillance footage from inside the store, provided anonymously to Castanet on Wednesday morning after a story detailing Dong’s claims was published, shows a very different version of events.
The video shows Dong instigating the physical altercation by throwing an empty plastic cup at the woman. She then returns fire with a metal jug, leading Dong to go on the attack. The woman can be seen on video trying to move away from Dong as he follows her, punching and kicking her.
The woman retaliates by throwing a store display on the ground at certain points in the altercation. A security guard then comes and breaks up the pair and waits for the police to arrive.
Castanet sent the video to Dong on Wednesday morning seeking an explanation.
Dong said he threw the cup in response to a racist remark. The surveillance footage does not contain audio.
“Because she was using violent language, became racist,” Dong said, alleging she called him a “yellow monkey” and “go back to your country.”
“So I threw the empty plastic cup,” he said.
Dong says the first time he saw the surveillance video was when it was provided to him by Castanet. He says he has been locked out of his surveillance system for about two years, after a departing and disgruntled employee changed the passwords on the way out the door.
“Who got those videos from my camera?” Dong asked.
The person who provided the footage to Castanet, using an anonymous email, said they have also now provided the footage to the RCMP. Castanet also sent the video to police for comment.
The RCMP previously said the woman in the video was initially arrested and released on a pending court date. That arrest, however, occurred before police had access to the surveillance video.
“The RCMP is examining all of the evidence as it relates to any criminal offence that has taken place. The female was arrested and released on scene with the information that was initially reported, and now there is additional evidence at play," said Cpl. Michael Gauthier.
"Police have retained a copy of the video as evidence however are unable to authenticate its source. This matter is still under investigation.”
ORIGINAL 4 a.m.
David Dong was left emotionally shaken, along with scratches, scrapes and bruises after an attack by a woman inside his downtown Kelowna coffee shop.
Dong is the owner of Blenz Coffee in the Innovation Centre on Doyle Avenue and was working alone on Saturday afternoon at around 1 p.m. when a woman wandered into his store.
Dong says the woman demanded water.
When he asked the woman for payment, Dong says the situation escalated.
"I said you need to get out of here if you have no money to pay, and then on the way out, she said, 'f*** yellow monkey, you should get out of the country.'"
Dong says the woman then grabbed two metal jugs and threw them at his face.
"I was so nervous, so scared. I ran from the back of the counter, and then I ran to the front, so I tried to control her, and then we started fighting."
"All of my body is now purple... everywhere. Actually, inside my mouth and all over my body. It's all purple. There was a security guard and two witnesses behind the garage door. I yelled to the security guard, 'I said call 911. Come inside to give me a hand,'" Dong said.
"He's a nice guy, but he is only 21 years old. He was super nervous, I could tell."
Roughly 10 RCMP officers arrived at the scene a few moments later and arrested the suspect.
Dong says an RCMP officer told him the woman is known to the police.
Dong has owned Blenz for seven years and has lived in Canada for 10. He is originally from China.
"I can't stand people telling me 'go back to your country.' I didn't do anything wrong. I do a lot of donations... I know almost everyone in the community."
One of the coffee shop's windows was completely smashed. Damage from the incident is still being totalled.
Castanet has reached out to the Kelowna RCMP for more details.
