Murdered UVic student honoured for bravery
A student who died saving the life of his friend will receive honours from the Governor General posthumously.
Philbert Truong will be awarded a Medal of Bravery at a ceremony in Ottawa, which has not been scheduled. The medals are for acts of bravery in hazardous circumstances.
Truong was 20 on July 19, 2008, when he was at the former Red Jacket Nightclub on Yates Street, with his friend Thuan Le. Le and another man, Somphavanh Chanthabouala, got into some kind of dispute in the club. Later that night, Chanthabouala, 24 at the time, and Mark Arrieta, 16 at the time, confronted Truong and Le outside the club. Arrieta pointed a gun at Le.
According to court documents, Truong told Arrieta he would have to shoot him first to get to Le and stepped in front of his friend. Arrieta pulled the trigger, killing Truong. He also shot Le, who is still affected by his wounds.
Arrieta was convicted of second-degree murder and Chanthabouala of first. They were both sentenced to life in prison; Arrieta was sentenced as an adult.
Truong studied psychology at the University of Victoria.
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