BC man stabbed in the chest after refusing to give a smoke to a stranger

A man was stabbed in the chest after he refused to give a cigarette to a stranger this week.

This happened on Vancouver Island on Wednesday afternoon and police say they responded to reports of a man being attacked by someone with a knife.

The victim said he was outside his home when the stranger approached him. 

After the apparent assault, the victim ran from the attacker, but the suspect followed him. 

“The victim told police that a witness across the street who had observed the attack and called 911, yelled to the suspect that they were on the phone with police, which interrupted the attack,” a statement from police reads. 

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The victim was able to capture a photo of the suspect on his phone before the suspect left the area. 

Patrol officers later found a man matching the suspect’s description, but when officers approached, the man turned away from them and began reaching into his waist area, according to police. 

“When officers verbally challenged him, telling him he was under arrest, the man spun back towards them and brandished a knife,” Victoria police say. “He raised the knife above his head and began yelling at officers.”

The suspect was tased by an officer, which caused him to drop the knife and fall to the ground, police say. 

Witnesses & video are sought after a man was stabbed in the chest by a stranger asking for a cigarette today. When officers responded, the attacker raised the knife over his head & screamed at them, prompting officers to deploy a CEW. https://t.co/NpZabjbOaK #yyj

— Victoria Police (@vicpdcanada) September 1, 2022

The suspect was taken into custody and officers recovered the knife during the arrest.

Police say the victim received a non-life-threatening stab wound to the chest as well as other injuries during his escape from his attacker. 

The victim did not agree to further medical treatment. 

Because a taser was used, police say it is standard practice that the suspect is transported to the hospital for an evaluation. 

The man was treated, released from the hospital and transported to VicPD cells where he was held for morning court.

Since the arrest occurred in a populated area and several people appeared to be filming the incident on their phones, investigators are asking anyone with video of the incident and/or the arrest, or information about the incident, to call the VicPD Report Desk at (250) 995-7654 extension 1.