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Vancouver man's gut instinct earns him police honour

Caleb Hystad's swift actions led to the arrest of a sexual offender with a history of preying on children

Caleb Hystad’s gut feeling told him something was not right.

He was in the washroom at the public library when he noticed a five-year-old boy, obviously in distress, leaving a stall. The boy was followed out of the stall by a man and the two left the washroom.

Was the man the boy’s father or grandfather? Was the little boy upset in the way that little boys can be? Or was this something more sinister?

Acting on instinct, Hystad followed the man and boy out of the washroom. He saw the boy being comforted by a woman; the man walking towards the exit.

When Hystad asked the woman — who was the boy’s mother — if she knew the man, and she said she didn’t, Hystad took off after him. Not wanting to let the man leave the library, Hystad grabbed the man by the shoulder and escorted him to a security officer, who called the police.

It turns out that the man in the washroom was a serial sex offender with a history of preying on children. Hystad’s actions led to his arrest.

 

“There is a line between observing something and interfering,” Hystad told the Courier on Feb. 9 after he was presented with an award of merit at the Vancouver Police Board’s annual awards ceremony at the Roundhouse Community Centre. “I’m not sure what triggered me to act. I just don’t see how I could have not done something.”

When the letter from the VPD arrived, Hystad, who’s an animation director with New Machine Studio, thought it was some kind of summons. He was totally caught off guard by the commendation.

“It’s rewarding to know I contributed to putting this guy away,” he says.

More than 300 people were honoured when 41 awards, including Police Officer of the Year, were presented by Mayor Gregor Robertson and Chief Const. Adam Palmer. For a complete list of recipients go to VPD.ca.

Caleb Hystad Gregor Robertson and Adam Palmer
Caleb Hystad receives his award of merit from Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson and VPD Chief Constable Adam Palmer. - Martha Perkins