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Surrey parking officer severely beaten

Concord security officer was knocked down and kicked in the head
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Surrey parking enforcement officer beaten on June 21.

James Dans liked his job and planned to continue it as long as possible.

The 51-year-old started working as a Commissionaire in parking enforcement with the City of Surrey in 2008.

But because of a punk with a grudge against parking enforcement officers, Dans' career may come to an abrupt end.

It was on June 21 at about 9:30 p.m., when Dans was contacted by Concord Security, a firm doing work for the City of Surrey, about a car parked too close to a driveway in the 10200-block of 168 Street.

There was a ceremony being held by Fleetwood Park Secondary School grads at nearby Pacific Acadamy auditorium at the time.

Dans found the vehicle and began writing a ticket.

A man walked up beside him and asked him why he was giving him a ticket, and Dans told him why. (Police have since determined the vehicle is not connected to the attacker).

"He said, 'you can't give me a ticket, it's a graduation', " Dans recalls.

The man pushed him to the ground and began kicking him in the head.

"He knocked me out cold," Dans said in an interview with The Leader Thursday.

When he came to, he walked across the street and called his wife from his car.

Next thing he remembered was waking up in hospital at about 3 a.m. with about five or six stitches in his head.

"I've had headaches ever since... I've never had headaches like this before," Dans said.

Five days after the attack, he went to the hospital fearing he suffered a stroke. The hospital told him his symptoms were from the concussion suffered during the attack.

As a result, he suffers from tunnel vision.

He describes his attacker as an Indo-Canadian male in his late teens to early 20s, wearing khaki pants, a light-brown pinstripe shirt, and pointy-toed shoes.

"He was really well dressed," Dans said.

Police are not sure whether the attacker was associated with the nearby graduation ceremony.

Dans is mystified as to why the man would have attacked him.

"I'd like to know why he wanted to kill me over a $30 parking ticket," Dans said. "It's insane."

Returning to work may be a challenge.

"I like my job, but after this one, I'm not too sure," Dans said. "I'm going to have a hard time dealing with people."

Police are anxious to find Dans' attacker.

“This is an isolated incident, however, it is nonetheless a despicable act on a resident from our community who was just doing his job,” said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet.

Anyone with further information is asked to contact the Surrey RCMP at 604-599-0502 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS and quote file #2013-78793.

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