Vancouver driver hurt in ‘violent and unprovoked assault’

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A driver in Vancouver was hurt in what’s being described by police as a “violent and unprovoked assault by a panhandler.”

It happened on Aug. 6 around 1 p.m. along West Georgia Street by the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Police say the 25-year-old was driving west when a man approached the front of the car on foot.

Video shows the incident unfolding, with the suspect, who police repeatedly refer to as a “panhandler,” standing in front of the vehicle in the middle of the road, not letting the driver move forward. The man is then seen yelling, becoming increasingly agitated. Police say he was asking for money when he starting acting erratically.

“The driver managed to manoeuver away. That’s when the suspect allegedly hurled a bottle through the driver’s window and struck him in the head,” said VPD Sgt. Steve Addison.

The driver called 9-1-1 and provided police with dashcam footage.

Police are now looking for the suspect, who is described as a 5’8″ white man with a slim build. He was seen wearing a teal-coloured hoodie at the time of the incident.

“We are extremely concerned by the random nature of this assault, which occurred in the middle of the day on a busy downtown street,” Addison said. “We want people to be aware of this incident, and to contact us if they can identify the suspect.”

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to contact the VPD at 604.717.4021.