Instead of handcuffs and criminal charges, a Calgary man caught in last week’s Stanley Cup riots should be showered with praise, says a friend who witnessed his actions.

Calgary engineer Joshua Evans, 27, Sonny Jaura and some friends took in the seventh and deciding game of the Stanley Cup finals  at a Vancouver bar on Nelson Street.

When they exited the establishment and entered what Jaura described as “chaos,” the group noticed some violent men harassing youth.

They broke up the incident, but paid the price as Jaura and two others were stabbed.

Jaura said Evans chased down a knife-wielding man believed responsible, disarmed him and carted him back to Vancouver police. Both men were arrested.

“I was just dumbfounded,” Jaura said of the police’s actions. “He’s a hero 100 per cent. I mean who runs after a guy with a knife?”

Evans has since been charged with possession of a dangerous weapon that Jaura says wasn’t his.

In a statement obtained by Metro yesterday, Evans’ family expressed regret over the charge.

“Josh tells us that he has thought about it 1,000 times and says he isn’t sure if he would do anything differently,” the statement reads. “If he would have put the knife on the ground, who knows if the (attacker’s) friends would have used it on him or someone else.”

A family spokesperson said yesterday Evans has been instructed by legal representation not to conduct any formal interviews for the time being.

Jaura pleaded with Vancouver police to revisit the incident.

“Look at all of our evidence and make sound decisions,” he said. “Don’t waste taxpayers’ money.”

Despite repeated inquiries, Vancouver police could not be reached for comment yesterday.