Man arrested for overnight hammer attacks at False Creek seawall, Downtown Eastside

Vancouver Police have arrested one 27-year-old man in connection to a pair of overnight hammer attacks that landed two men in hospital.

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on Sunday evening, a 67-year-old Vancouver man was walking on the seawall near Quebec Street and Terminal Avenue when he was approached from behind and hit with a hammer. He fell to the ground and was struck again in the head and on the arm before a passerby came to his aid, which led the suspect to walk away from the scene. The victim was taken to hospital for treatment of a broken arm and lacerations to the head.

However, shortly after the incident, another attack occurred nearby at the intersection of Main and East Hastings streets in the Downtown Eastside. Just before 11 p.m., a 49-year-old Vancouver man was hit in the head with a hammer: he was knocked to the ground and rendered unconscious. This second victim was attended to by paramedics and rushed to hospital in critical but stable condition.

The suspect in both incidents has been described as a 27-year-old Vancouver man. Following the second incident, he boarded a southbound bus on Main Street and disembarked near where the first incident occurred. Police attempted to question him at Main and Terminal, but the suspect ran into the nearby McDonald’s restaurant where he was found hiding in the washroom.

The man was arrested and will face charges of two counts of aggravated assault. Anyone who has information about the incident is asked to contact Vancouver Police at (604) 717-2541 or Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) 222-8477.

Feature Image: handcuffs via shutterstock