Vancouver police have made an arrest in connection with a violent stranger attack in Chinatown.
The victim of this unprovoked assault is a man named Harold who was identified on social media as a beloved security guard in the neighbourhood.
He was assaulted by a stranger on Friday morning. Over the weekend, Vancouver police tweeted, “An attack on Harold is an attack on Chinatown.”
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Harold was making his rounds near East Pender and Columbia streets. Investigators say they believe that he was taking pictures when someone attacked him.
Lorraine Lowe is the director of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and she told Daily Hive that this was indicative of something bigger.
“Streets are becoming unsafe for everyone — including first responders and now security guards. Never has this happened to Harold — he’s a man in his 60s.”
Meanwhile, Vancouver police say that Harold has been a fixture in Chinatown for years.
Thankfully, some bystanders intervened to stop the assault, and witnesses called 911. The attacker was able to flee before police were on scene, but VPD officers were able to locate the suspect and made an arrest in Gastown.
Kevin Aaron Hibbard is the 44-year-old suspect in question and he has been charged with assault.
GoFundMe : Get Well Soon, Harold Johnson!
A beloved community member, Chinatown advocate & guard at Primcorp since 2002, Harold was assaulted on Friday…
More at https://t.co/aABeeXHHyw https://t.co/Bl5DENqOnz
— Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (@vangarden) August 13, 2022
The attack on Harold was one of two attacks that took place in the neighbourhood over the weekend.
On Saturday, an 89-year-old man was the victim of an assault in Chinatown.
The victim was walking alone near Main and Keefer streets on Saturday morning when a woman approached him and knocked him to the ground. He suffered cuts and scrapes in the attack.
“Vancouver police have increased patrols in Chinatown in response to community concerns about rising violence, hate incidents, graffiti, and street disorder spilling over from the Downtown Eastside. Officers were patrolling the area at the time of the attack and quickly responded to help the injured senior and arrest the suspect. Investigators believe the assault was unprovoked,” reads a statement from VPD.