Editor’s Note: Some details and images in this story are graphic and some readers may find them disturbing.
It was a horrifying scene in downtown Vancouver last week after the victim of a stabbing left a trail of blood between his condo and Yaletown Station as he attempted to track down his attackers.
Speaking to Daily Hive, Jeremy Kim said he was on the phone with his partner, who lives in Italy, outside of his Yaletown home at around 1 am on Friday prior to the stabbing.
It was a day after they were in an argument, and the pair were attempting to resolve their conflict.
Feeling stressed, Kim decided to take the call outside as he had a cigarette. Kim told Daily Hive that a man and woman approached him while he was outside on the phone. The man was on a video call when he allegedly stuck the phone in Kim’s face, antagonizing him.
Annoyed, Kim told the man to get the phone out of his face. When he refused, he said he knocked the phone from the approaching stranger’s hand.
“Like a coward, without saying anything, he pulled out a knife and started stabbing me,” Kim told Daily Hive.
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We shared some of the details of the crime last week. The Vancouver Police Department revealed that two 18-year-olds were allegedly behind the crime. While police said the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries, Kim believes he could’ve died if the knife entered his body even an inch to the left. He was stabbed in the ribs, the chest, and the arm.
It was dark when the attack occurred, and Kim had been wearing a thick jacket. Due to the adrenaline, he didn’t even realize he had been stabbed.
“When I put my arm down, I could see blood pouring out of my jacket like a sink.”
We’ve also now learned why Yaletown Station was closed for hours. After getting stabbed, Kim was also allegedly punched in the nose, leaving it broken. Due to the amount of blood he had shed, trying to use his blood-covered phone was a struggle, but he was eventually able to phone the police. He claims the attackers followed him into the lobby of the building, where he believed they were going to finish the job. But they fled when they realized he had the authorities on the phone.
Kim said that the man had disappeared, but Kim followed the woman, who he believed was attempting to flee via Yaletown Station.
“I followed her into the SkyTrain car and told everybody to call the police.”
The police arrived and took the woman into custody. Eventually, the VPD told the public that both suspects were in custody.
Kim is in his early 30s. He has lived in downtown Vancouver for nearly a decade, and before that, he lived in North Vancouver with his family. A few factors regarding the timing of the violent attack make this ordeal even more excruciating for Kim. He has been out of work due to an injury since November 2023. He finally accepted a job offer over a week ago and was supposed to start on February 3. His injuries have made it so he can’t even drive, let alone work a job. Fortunately, he told Daily Hive his new employer was understanding.
In addition, Kim has been working hard to prepare to bring his partner from Italy to Vancouver. She has visited in the past year, and Kim has reflected on how safe Vancouver seemed during those visits. Now, Kim fears her perceptions of the city have changed.
“I told her it’s very safe here. And now she’s getting the complete opposite of that idea.”
In terms of his injuries, Kim has suffered nerve damage in his arm that will take time to heal. He’s also dealing with a hematoma on the side of his body.
Submitted
Is the BC justice system failing the public?
Over the past two years, we’ve published several stories about violent crimes that have occurred in Vancouver, and in many of those cases, the suspect is someone who has had a history of violence.
In regards to the primary suspect in Kim’s attack, VPD told Daily Hive the following:
“An 18-year-old suspect has been charged with one count of assault with a weapon and one count of possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose. He was released from custody by a judge.”
Because of this and the realization that his attackers know where he lives, Kim is fearful. We asked him what the VPD said to assure his safety. He referred to being put on a priority list where if he calls 911 from the area where the attack occurred, the police will show up with flashing lights.
“Besides that, they said all they can do is tell the guy not to go around where I live.”
He added, “The criminal justice system here is definitely inadequate if these perpetrators are released after one day to commit more crimes, and it takes years for the victim to see justice in a court of law.”
We put Kim’s concerns to the BC Ministry of Public Safety, but the ministry told Daily Hive that our request had been passed on to the Office of the Attorney General. The AG’s office told us it was “unable to weigh in on these decisions” and asked us to connect with the BC Prosecution Service.
Kim’s brother has set up a GoFundMe in hopes that he can get by without work for the foreseeable future. There’s also the potential costs of reconstructive surgery on his nose, which might not be covered.