Cab driver honoured by police for help in capturing sex offender
Fadil Rashead had no doubt in his mind what he had to do when he realized his fare was a violent sex offender that police were looking for.
“I felt I had to do my duty as a Canadian citizen,” he said.
The Bluebird Taxi driver, who recognized Scott Jones from a company bulletin that had been sent out, saw his chance to act when Jones asked him to go into the Superstore on Langford Parkway to buy a change of clothes. Jones explained he couldn’t go in himself because police were after him.
Rashead went inside and called 911. West Shore RCMP were there in minutes to make an arrest, but not before Jones tried to light the cab’s upholstery on fire. He had locked himself inside, so officers had to break a window to get to him.
On Friday, Rashead — who has lived in Victoria for 25 years, after leaving Syria in 1989 — was recognized with a Civic Service Award from the Victoria Police Department, which was dealing with the Jones file. Rashead’s name will be added to the list of award winners honoured for making a difference in the community.
Accompanied by family members, Rashead called receiving the award “the greatest experience of my life.”
“I am very, very happy and very proud for what I did,” he said. “I would do it again.”
Rashead said he has been a cab driver for 15 years, and this incident was the strangest he has dealt with on the job.
Victoria Police Chief Del Manak said the civic awards were created to honour people “who have stepped up and done the right thing.”
“The VicPD Civic Service Award is very special to me because it gives me a chance to recognize citizens, like you, who have made a conscious decision to make our community safer,” he told Rashead.
“And nothing could be more true than in this particular case.
“It is a small act of thanks on our part, but I hope that you appreciate the significance of joining the ranks of so many others who have served our community with dignity and honour.”
Manak noted that the search for Jones, a court-designated dangerous offender wanted on a Canada-wide warrant, had included dozens of officers and staff, along with the RCMP and police officers from neighbouring jurisdictions.
Greater Victoria residents were asked to call if they spotted Jones.
Jones was convicted of rape, gross indecency and attempted rape in 1982. While on parole in 1986, he was charged with three counts of sexual assault with a weapon and three counts of unlawful confinement. He pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault and one of sexual assault with weapon, with the trial judge declaring him a dangerous offender.
He appealed that designation to the Supreme Court of Canada but the appeal was dismissed in 1994.