Anguished B.C. father seeks justice for son who died during a fight at a dog park

Family and friends of a Coquitlam man who was killed at a dog park almost a year ago are angry that no charges have been laid.

Anton Ossipchuk, 29, was walking his dog on the evening of May 8, 2022, when he was threatened by a trio of men, and then stabbed to death after he physically confronted them, according to a friend who was with him at Glen Elementary.

Victor Ossipchuk, Anton’s father, says he was dismayed that the B.C. Prosecution Service refused to file criminal charges in late February.

“To hear this was another strike, we felt the same as we did when we learned our child was dead.”

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team recommended criminal charges, but Crown counsel ruled that their standards – which require a substantial likelihood of a conviction and a public interest to prosecute – were not met.