One man has been arrested in connection with two attacks that took place in downtown Vancouver on Wednesday morning.
A man has died and another has been left with life-altering injuries, according to a statement from Vancouver police.
VPD Chief Adam Palmer commented on the attacks, saying, “Attacks like these shake our collective sense of comfort and safety, and we’re grateful that a suspect was quickly taken into custody by our officers.”
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Officers responded to two attacks, one at 7:38 am and another at 7:46 am.
Police say the first attack involved a man who had been attacked near Cathedral Square at Richards Street and Dunsmuir. When attending the scene, officers found a man in his 50s who had been attacked with a knife and was bleeding from the head. He also suffered a severed hand. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to survive.
Eight minutes later, officers responded to an attack at West Georgia and Hamilton Street. Efforts were made to save the victim’s life, but he died at the scene.
Shortly after 9 am, after responding to reports of a man behaving erratically and yelling at a stranger, officers located the suspect on Beer (Habitat) Island in Olympic Village.
The suspect is a 34-year-old White Rock resident who is currently at the Vancouver Jail.
“I applaud the witnesses who called police immediately and provided timely information,” Palmer added.
“I am also extremely proud of the brave VPD officers who responded quickly to tend to the victims, to gather evidence, to arrest the suspect, and to stop this imminent public safety threat.”
Palmer and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim addressed the media at the VPD headquarters.
“Vancouver is not dying; Vancouver is not dead,” Palmer said in response to a question about crime being politicized.
Sim suggested that the city needs more help from the province and federal government.
“We have a choice. If we don’t pivot, expect to see more press conferences like this. We’re pretty much doing everything we can do as a municipality,” said Sim.
Palmer also said that more charges need to be stayed, and more people need to be held in custody for serious crimes. Palmer told reporters that Vancouver is a safe city and that crime across various metrics is actually down in Vancouver.
#VPDNews: #VPD have arrested a man in connection with two attacks in the downtown core, which left one man dead and another with life-altering injuries. Investigators are treating the incidents as unprovoked stranger attacks. https://t.co/PXbzuVvgrw pic.twitter.com/pjjVNGt8eT
— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) September 4, 2024