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“I hate to characterize it as a demolition derby,” he said, “Because it’s destruction of taxpayer dollars. But it looked like it.”

After arresting the man without incident, officers took him to Burnaby General Hospital for a physical and psychological evaluation, out of “concern for his wellbeing,” Staff Sgt. Major Buis said. Once in an examining room, the suspect allegedly jumped up on his bed and ripped out a sprinkler head from the ceiling — flooding the surrounding area and forcing hospital staff to evacuate the emergency room.

Mr. Buis said the suspect was not restrained so he could be properly assessed.

“In my 37 years in the RCMP, I’ve never seen anything like this,” Staff Sgt. Major Buis said of the ordeal.

Photos of the parking lot crossed the veteran officer’s desk on Sunday looked like “a disaster zone,” but investigators have yet to report a motive for the spree.

Drugs, alcohol or psychological factors have not been ruled out.

The suspect, from neighbouring Surrey, B.C., was known to police, but had no previous altercations with the Burnaby detachment that might explain such action, police said.

As the investigation progressed Sunday, police learned of another incident at a nearby hospital that is believed could be linked to the crime spree.

The Jeep found at the crash site was stolen on Saturday in Surrey, where officials at Fraser Health Facility reported that a man became agitated and tore out a sprinkler head, causing an “undetermined amount of damage to the building and its contents.”

While police said the suspect at the Surrey hospital also drove a Jeep Cherokee and matched the description of the man accused of damaging police cars in Burnaby, the link between the Surrey and Burnaby incidents has not been officially confirmed.

The suspect was remanded into RCMP custody on Sunday, but has not been officially charged. RCMP will not release the suspect’s identity until charges are laid.

National Post