ROTHENBURGER – Court ruling ends two years of stress for security guard
Rick Eldridge back when he was working on Victoria Street West in 2021. (Image: Facebook)
RICK ELDRIDGE got an early birthday present this week when an assault charge was taken off the books almost two years after an incident that led to it.
On Wednesday, he was instead ordered to do 40 hours of community service and avoid contact with the man he got into a physical confrontation with at the 48 Victoria Street West storage facility used by the street-entrenched.
“The world was lifted from my shoulders” when he was declared him not guilty of assault, the security guard said as we sat down to talk about the good news.
Eldridge, who turns 58 this month, got a lot of media attention after he tried to move the guy away from a no-loitering area at the storage building and was caught on video putting him to the ground and kicking him.
Eldridge said later he himself was assaulted, that the man had spat at him and pushed him before he reacted. Some people were outraged by his actions, others have regarded him as something of a folk hero protecting the street.
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops, alternate TNRD director and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Happy Birthday, Rick.
Honestly, I don’t know how I would react if someone spit on me.
LikeLike
You have taken quite a sympathetic approach towards Mr. Eldridge, Mr. Rothenburger. In my opinion that is the thing to do.
LikeLike