Vancouver Police are investigating after a 67-year-old man was stabbed and seriously injured this morning at an East Vancouver gas station.
Witnesses say a man hit a pedestrian with his vehicle at the Esso station near Hastings and Skeena just before 6:30 a.m. He then got out of his car, and allegedly chased several people while holding a knife and a machete. He reportedly punched a passerby, then turned his attention back to the pedestrian, stabbing him on the neck and back. As he attempted to steal a motorbike parked at the gas station, he was stopped by officers, who arrived within moments of the 911 call.
“We don’t know if there was a motive for this attack, and the fact that it appears random and unprovoked is extremely concerning,” says Constable Tania Visintin. “The victims and the suspect did not know each other, and did not appear to have any significant interactions before the attack.”
The stabbing victim was taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The man who was punched was treated on scene.
A 61-year-old man was arrested at the crime scene.
“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,” adds Constable Visintin. “When the car was boxed in by police, the driver allegedly rammed into the police vehicle and fled again.”
The investigation is ongoing.