A 54-year-old Chilliwack tractor driver has been charged with three criminal counts after multiple collisions with a BC Highway Patrol vehicle during a protest one year ago.
The tractor driver received serious injuries and a police officer received minor injuries as a result of the collision.
On December 9, 2024, Malkiat Singh Bill Shoker was charged with dangerous Operation of a conveyance flight while pursued by a peace officer and assaulting a police officer with a weapon.
Shoker was arrested on December 18, 2024, and his next appearance will be in Surrey Provincial Court on January 16, 2025.
Prior to the November 2023 police incident, Bill Shoker posted several public videos to his Facebook page from the driver’s seat of a green John Deere tractor.
He narrated where he was on the highway and where he was heading before turning the camera to show his face. Shoker said his name, his business name (Shoker Farms Ltd. in Chilliwack) and also explained the reason for the stunt, saying it was a protest against an educational resource called SOGI 123. “I’m Bill Shoker, and we organized this [anti-SOGI] convoy,” he added. Shoker is seen filming himself and other protesters driving from Abbotsford towards Vancouver. He goes on to encourage folks to join an anti-SOGI protest and urges parents to support the message. In one video he says, “I would like all the parents watching this … if you love your children, please support this cause before it is too late. Thank you.”
The tractor was one of several vehicles involved in a convoy that began in Chilliwack and was travelling into Vancouver.
The BC RCMP notified the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) of the incident. According to police, “On November 25, at approximately 1:20 p.m., officers with the British Columbia Highway Patrol attempted pull over a tractor which was travelling westbound on Highway 1 near the 176 street turn off. Officers had reportedly attempted to pull the tractor over for an extended period while it was part of a convoy that was heading to Vancouver. During the interaction, the tractor and police vehicle collided, the tractor inverted, and came to a rest on its side, resulting in the driver suffering non-life-threatening injuries. He remains in hospital.”
