VANCOUVER Police were kept busy over the Easter weekend, responding to 1,854 calls for service over a four-day period.
“Officers responded to deliberately set arsons, random stranger attacks, sudden deaths and four stabbings just to name a few. One of those stabbings resulted in Vancouver’s fourth homicide,” said Constable Tania Visintin on Tuesday. “In addition to those calls, there were seven protests over the weekend, three of which needed police attendance and organization.”
A few calls of note:
On the morning of April 4, officers responded to East 12th Avenue and Slocan Street for reports of a fully engulfed RV fire. A 29-year-old woman was able to escape, however, a man in his 50s did not make it out and was found deceased. The woman was transported to hospital for second-degree burns. Preliminary evidence does not indicate the death of the man to be suspicious, however, the BC Coroners Service will be conducting an investigation. VPD arson investigators will also investigate the origin of the fire.
Just after 6 p.m., staff from St. Paul’s Hospital called 9-1-1 to report that a man with serious stab wounds had been admitted to the emergency room. An investigation led officers to determine the man was picked up by a cab in the unit block of East Hastings Street. No arrests have been made at this time. The victim remains in hospital in serious condition. The file remains under investigation.
At 7 p.m., VPD officers responded to Strathcona Park for reports of a 41-year-old man who had been stabbed. The man was taken to hospital for non-life threatening injuries. No arrests have been made and the file remains under investigation.
Later that evening at around 10 p.m., officers were flagged over in the unit block of West Hastings Street for reports of a man possibly suffering from a drug overdose. BC Ambulance Service arrived on scene and found stab wounds while performing chest compressions. The man was taken to hospital where he later died of his injuries. No arrests have been made and the file is under investigation.
At around 3:30 a.m. on April 5 in the unit block of East Hastings Street, officers came across a victim who stated he had been attacked by four men and was stabbed by one of them. No arrests have been made at this time. The file remains under investigation.
At 11 p.m., VPD’s Emergency Response Team assisted patrol officers in arresting a man on a Canada-wide warrant. The man is also under investigation for firearms trafficking. At the time of arrest, officers found a handgun in the suspect’s suitcase. The file remains under investigation.
Just after midnight on April 6, a man called police and claimed that he had been randomly attacked by a man with a long metal pipe at Oak Street and West 24th Avenue. When police arrived, they found the man suffering from a large gash on his forehead, a broken arm and what were believed to be broken ribs. He was transported to hospital, where he remains in stable condition.
“In addition to the priority calls that came in, officers responded to several calls under the Emergency Measures Act for unlawful gatherings,” added Visintin. “This included two restaurants that disobeyed the guidelines set out by the Provincial Health Officer.”
If anyone was any information related to these files, call the Vancouver Police or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
