Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Woman Turns To Skaters At Skate Park To Help Shield Her After Strange Man Follows Her For 40 Minutes

Woman Turns To Skaters At Skate Park To Help Shield Her After Strange Man Follows Her For 40 Minutes
780/Reddit

The threat of harassment or assault is never far from the possibility for many women who go about their day.

One Canadian woman avoided a possibly dangerous situation when she sought the company of a group of skaters at a park after being relentlessly pursued by a male stalker for 40 minutes.


Jamie Coutts, a resident in Vancouver, was walking home after leaving a grocery store when she noticed a presence behind her that made her get out her cellphone and hit record.

The footage she captured while on foot around Keefer and Columbia streets in the downtown area showed a man wearing a hood and a mask walking a few steps behind her and even crossing a red light at a crosswalk to avoid losing her.

At one point Coutts stopped to allow for him to pass her, but the man stopped and just "stared" at her.

To test if she was being followed, Coutts walked around the same block several times. The man remained walking behind her.

"I was walking as fast as I could," Coutts said.

She told him he was walking too close to her, but her comment elicited no response from him.

Fortunately, she came upon a skate park and asked a group of skaters sitting on a bench:

"Do you mind if I sit with you guys? This guy's literally been following me in circles for like 40 minutes, and I'm recording it."

Another female was seen in the group with two other male skaters who did not hesitate to accommodate Coutts.

When they made room for her to join them, the stranger eventually gave up his pursuit and walked away from the park.

You can watch the video, below.


Coutts posted the footage to Instagram, where it went viral and prompted other women to reach out and indicate they too were followed by the same man seen in the video.

@iammjammbamm/Instagram


@iammjammbamm/Instagram

Dara Parker told CTV News she believed she was followed by the same man while she and her partner were taking their dog out for a walk back in October.

After recognizing the man in Coutts' video, Parker recalled her experience.

"It was really creepy. He just kept following us."
"I'm just so disappointed by the comments on social media, but especially disappointed by people who are critiquing and dismissing a woman who both in the moment was trying to secure her safety and other people."
"When you're in an emergency situation, your judgment is compromised."

Coutts said she filed a police report of the incident once she felt safe.


Angela Marie MacDougall, director of Battered Women's Support Services said:

"I think in this circumstance, we saw a woman being very resourceful, both by creating evidence, but also creating a witness. It is not to be taken lightly, at all."

MacDougall added:

"The stats tell us, and we've had some research in Canada within the last 10 years, where at least 80 women and girls have experienced being followed by a stranger."
"It is an ongoing reminder of just how much gender-based violence is happening."

Vancouver police told Coutts they found the person of interest after he was assaulting another woman.

But after arriving at the station to identify the suspect, Coutts did not recognize him and confirmed he was not the same man.


Coutts told Global News she is not afraid to show her face and speak out for the missing and murdered victims who no longer have a voice.

She also expressed concern people might let their guard down after believing the police have apprehended her stalker which is not the case.

"People think that the man who followed me was arrested, and I want people to keep their eyes open and keep looking because I, unfortunately, am not going to feel safe until he's found."

Vancouver Police Sergeant Steve Addison confirmed an investigation looking into the incident was ongoing.

"This is very concerning," said Addison.

More from Trending

Kid Rock
Todd Kirkland/Getty Images

Kid Rock Dragged After Donning A Truly Over-The-Top Outfit For His White House Visit

Singer Kid Rock was slammed for wearing a loud patriotic costume inside the Oval Office as Republican President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday against ticket scalping.

The rocker's outfit consisted of a red, white, and blue jacket emblazoned with two eagles facing each other above the American flag with the number 250, a nod to America's upcoming 250th anniversary, and white stars on his sleeves.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Bill Cassidy
CNBC

MAGA Senator Just Said The Quiet Part Out Loud With Epic Freudian Slip About Medicare

Louisiana Republican Senator Bill Cassidy was widely mocked following his inconvenient slip of the tongue during a CNBC interview as he mused about finding ways to "cut" Medicare before quickly correcting himself.

The exchange occurred after host Rebecca Quick pressed Louisiana Republican and former physician Bill Cassidy on how his party intended to fund the “trillion-dollar tax cuts” sought by President Donald Trump.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Tim Sheehy
CNN

GOP Senator Gets Blunt Reality Check After Comparing Trump Tariff 'Pain' To Home Renovation

Montana Republican Senator Tim Sheehy was criticized after he tried to compare the "short-term pain" of President Donald Trump's tariffs to home renovation, a claim so ridiculous that CNN's Kaitlan Collins quickly pushed back on the analogy.

Trump has repeatedly referred to April 2 as “Liberation Day,” pledging to impose tariffs—taxes on imports—to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign goods. He has framed these tariffs as “reciprocal,” aiming to match the duties other nations place on American exports.

Keep ReadingShow less
Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.

Keep ReadingShow less

People Describe The Worst 'Bonus' They've Ever Gotten At Work

Most of us have worked at one problematic workplace, with reasons ranging from toxic coworkers to terrible bosses to unlivable pay. Sometimes, it feels like a joke that the employees are even being paid at all!

But the biggest joke of all might be the end-of-year bonus, or lack thereof. They're at times so laughable, they take the cake for horrible work conditions, or are quite literally, a slice of cake.

Keep ReadingShow less