Machete-wielding man at Vancouver gas station arrested
Posted June 1, 2022 12:23 pm.
Last Updated July 5, 2022 10:26 am.
Editor’s note: The article contains a video of the aftermath of this disturbing attack. It may not be suitable for all audiences.
Vancouver police have arrested a 61-year-old man after a disturbing incident at a gas station in East Vancouver, where another man was stabbed.
In a video circulating online Wednesday morning, a man can be seen shouting profanities and wielding a machete and another large knife at patrons of the Esso gas station on Hastings Street near Skeena. The people around and near the pumps are seen scattering, and can be heard screaming as they try to avoid the man.
Prior to this, witnesses say the suspect hit a pedestrian at the gas station before he got out and started chasing people.
According to police, the 67-year-old who had been hit by the car was then stabbed in the neck and back. He is recovering in the hospital from non-life threatening injuries. The man also repeatedly punched another passerby, police said.
“We don’t know if there was a motive for this attack, and the fact that it appears random and unprovoked is extremely concerning,” said Const. Tania Visintin. “The victims and the suspect did not know each other, and did not appear to have any significant interactions before the attack.”
Warning: The following video may not be suitable for all audiences
BC Emergency Health Services says two paramedics responded to the incident at around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday and took the stabbing victim to hospital.
At one point in the video, the man is seen trying to get onto a parked motorcycle and leave. He dismounted a short time later. The suspect then laid in the middle of the street when police approached and arrested him.
“Before this incident, around 1:30 a.m., a man was seen driving the same vehicle erratically, and he fled from police in several Metro Vancouver cities,” Visintin added. “When the car was boxed in by police, the driver allegedly rammed into the police vehicle and fled again.”
Vancouver police say the suspect remains in custody and the investigation is ongoing.
