BC man stabbed after his daughter asks stranger to physically distance

A 50-year-old man was hospitalized after he was stabbed during a confrontation in the parking lot of a mall in Nanaimo.

According to Nanaimo RCMP Const. Gary O’Brien, the incident took place around 6 pm on Wednesday.

The victim’s wife says she was standing outside their car with her husband and their 25-year-old daughter when the suspect walked by.

The daughter “told the suspect that he was too close to them, and due to COVID-19 protocols, he should maintain a six-foot separation,” said O’Brien. The suspect “took exception to this comment and yelled some obscenities at her.”

At that point, the victim moved toward the suspect, who then struck him with a metal coffee cup.

A fight then ensued between the two men, and the victim was stabbed. The suspect left on foot, and the victim’s wife called 911. A knife was recovered at the scene. The victim was transported to hospital, where he received treatment for his wounds.

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O’Brien said that approximately an hour after the incident, police received information that the suspect was on Gabriola Island.

Gabriola Island RCMP officers attended to the suspect’s residence and arrested him without incident.

The suspect was transported back to Nanaimo and turned over to Nanaimo RCMP officers. He was served with an Undertaking for Assault with a Weapon and released from custody, with a first court appearance scheduled for for May 25 in Nanaimo.