Vancouver kiss couple: video shows police charge

Fresh video footage appearing to show Vancouver's famous riot couple seems to end speculation that the picture was faked, and indicates that sympathy more than passion was the motivation behind the kiss that was captured on camera.
The footage, uploaded to YouTube, seems to show Australian Scott Jones comforting his girlfriend, Alex Thomas, after she was knocked to the ground by an officer's riot shield.
The photo of the couple, taken by photographer Richard Lam, became a global sensation and was taken as Lam was documenting the riot that began after the hometown Canucks lost ice hockey's Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins. The picture became an internet sensation and fuelled speculation that the embrace was staged.
The video shows the crowd retreating as the couple find themselves caught in the path of two riot police. Both officers collide with the pair with their shields, knocking them to the ground. The couple appear to be holding up their arms up in defence. The camera moves on, returning to show the man comforting the distraught woman.
Jones and Thomas have been inundated with offers to describe the events surrounding the famous kiss and had said they did not want the "extra stress" of media appointments. But they are now believed to have hired celebrity publicist Markson Sparks PR.
Jones is an aspiring comedian. "I think for Scott, it's a tremendous opportunity for him to springboard his acting and standup comedy," Markson told the Toronto Star. "Overseas people know more about that photo than the Stanley Cup." He said the couple's global exposure could be worth a potential $10m.
Dominic Rushe @'The Guardian'