Hundreds of Stanley Cup riot charges expected

Hundreds of charges will be laid in connection with the Stanley Cup riot, with the first round starting in late October, Vancouver's chief of police says.

Chief Jim Chu said Thursday thatofficers are heading to Indianapolis this weekend to work with experts from around the world to process the 1,600 hours of video captured by police and onlookers during the riot.

"Once we get back from the lab, we need time to use the database and start tagging each individual in terms of what they were doing," said Chu.

After that, police will start laying charges by late October, and will continue laying charges every week after that until the files are closed, he said.

"I've talked to senior prosecutors. I've talked to senior officials in the judicial system and said expect a large number of charges to come your way. They will come at a steady rate," he said.

Chu said the goal is to lay the most charges for a single event in Canadian history, estimating the final tally will be in the hundreds, eventually exceeding the number of charges laid in connection to Toronto's G20 riot.

"In Toronto they laid 317 charges after the G20. Our goal is to surpass that," said Chu.

On Wednesday, Chu said 70 people have turned themselves in to police, including many that were identified by photos posted online to a special website created by police.

Police have faced muchcriticism over the length of time it has takento lay charges, but Chu has repeatedly stated that the complex investigation is making progressand will eventually result in the maximum number of convictions.

After the Vancouver Canucks' Game 7 loss in the Stanley Cup final on June 15, rioters spent hours torching cars, smashing windows and looting stores in the city's downtown core, causing millions of dollars in damage.