Vancouver police go public with stranger attack, weeks after incident
Posted January 19, 2022 11:19 am.
Last Updated January 19, 2022 3:39 pm.
Vancouver police have released security footage of a woman being shoved and attacked by a stranger in the downtown area nearly three weeks after the incident took place.
The incident happened at around 3:30 p.m. New Year’s Eve. This is the first public notification of the incident, though Vancouver police say they began their investigation the day it happened.
Police told CityNews they obtained security footage of the attack on Tuesday, Jan. 18. In it, a man is shown walking along W. Georgia St. in front of Hotel Georgia holding a blue bag. A woman walks into frame, heading in the opposite direction.
The man suddenly grabs the woman and pushes her into a potted plant, before knocking her into the exterior wall of the hotel and off her feet.
He then lets her go, grabs his bag, and walks out of frame. The 22-year-old woman walks away and police say she last saw the suspect walking east on W. Georgia Street.
“This video clearly shows the unprovoked and random nature of this disturbing attack,” said Const. Tania Visintin.
Investigators haven’t ruled out a racial motivation to the attack, though Visintin doesn’t believe any racial slurs were spoken.
“But that’s not to say that they weren’t. This is why we need more witnesses to come forward.”
The suspect is described as a middle-aged man, wearing grey pants, and a black jacket on top of a black shirt. There was a logo in the middle of the shirt. The suspect was also wearing a black toque, headphones, and carrying a blue bag.
If you have any information, you’re asked to call Vancouver police at 604-717-4022.
Visintin says people should not have to change anything about their behaviour.
“No one should have to change where they walk any time of day. The people that need to change are obviously the criminals.”
When asked why they are only sharing information about this incident now, Visintin says they investigate incidents like this one “on a daily basis.”
“What’s different in this case is we have the video.”
Another person is seen in the video, walking by after the attack. Police are hoping they will also reach out to investigators.
With files from Peter Wagner and Martin MacMahon
