One person is in hospital recovering from injuries they sustained in a hatchet attack.
The New Westminster Police Department (NWPD) is looking for witnesses after a robbery attempt that involved a hatchet and left a victim with numerous lacerations.
During the early-morning hours of Sunday, April 3, NWPD officers were called to an area outside New Westminster SkyTrain Station after reports of a violent robbery in progress. According to the witness who called 911, someone was being attacked with a hatchet in an attempt to steal their bag.
When NWPD officers arrived on scene, the victim was provided first aid while being ensured that BC Ambulance and New Westminster Fire and Rescue services were on their way. The victim was transported to a local hospital, where they’re recovering from numerous injuries, including lacerations to their head and upper body.
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Officers were able to safely arrest a suspect nearby who matched the description provided by the witness.
Police believe the incident was an unprovoked attack, and that the victim and suspect were not known to each other. Police have also identified the suspect as 30-year-old Abdulkadir Hassan of Burnaby. Charges of aggravated assault and robbery have been approved by Crown counsel.
Witnesses asked to come forward following violent robbery with a hatchet. https://t.co/WAJIRof7wi #NewWest pic.twitter.com/1BiEnmhAHZ
— New Westminster Police Department (@NewWestPD) April 5, 2022
“Officers believe there may have been more witnesses that saw this assault and fled the area,” said NWPD Sergeant Sanjay Kumar in a statement. “We’re wanting to speak to those people to both listen to what they experienced and provide them resources after having witnessed this violent assault.”
The hatchet attack occurred just days after reports of a similar event at another Metro Vancouver SkyTrain station, where someone was attacked by two teenagers, one of whom was wielding a machete.
NWPD is asking anyone who may have witnessed this incident to call them at 604-525-5411.