Vancouver’s New Year’s Day homicide

VANCOUVER Police are investigating the city’s first homicide in 2019 after a man in his 30s was killed Tuesday evening in the Downtown Eastside.

Just after 8 p.m. on January 1, the VPD was called to an assault inside an apartment on Powell Street near Gore Street. Officers located a man in his suite in obvious medical distress. He died at the scene.

Detectives from the VPD’s Homicide Unit have identified the victim as 39-year-old Vancouver resident Matthew Dillen Johnson.

No arrests have been made.

Investigators are continuing to collect evidence to determine what led to the man’s death and who is responsible. Based on the initial investigation, detectives do not believe the public is at risk.

Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call police at 604-717-2500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.