“Ibrahim Abdela Bakhit, 48, has been charged with one count each of aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose,” said Vancouver police Const. Tania Visindin said Monday in a statement. He said four people were attacked and stabbed inside the home near Granville and Smithe streets. “When VPD officers arrived on scene, they were confronted by the suspect who was still armed with the weapon. They were then shot by police and the suspect was injured.” Visindin said the four victims and the suspect were taken to hospital with “serious, life-changing injuries”. “Someone lost fingers. One person got it in the back of the neck and twice in the head from the blunt side,” said Crispin Bryce, the general manager of Siesta Rooms, the residence above the Roxy Cabaret where the incident began . Police cordoned off a stretch of downtown Vancouver’s Granville Street Saturday night where a man allegedly attacked four people with a machete. (Luis de la Selva/CBC)
The Mayor is asking the province to do more
On Sunday, Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart issued a statement thanking police and firefighters for their quick response and calling on the BC government. do more to tackle productive offenders and strengthen mental health resources. Stewart says violent offenders who are a threat to themselves or others are too often released to homes or camps. He says there isn’t enough room in prisons or mental health facilities to keep dangerous offenders off the street. “That’s why we need a reform of the systems here,” he told CBC’s The Early Edition on Monday, “with facilities that are appropriate for either people with severe mental health challenges who need to be involuntarily detained or more facilities for violent offenders. The CBC reached out to BC Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth’s office Monday morning, but has yet to hear back. The Early Edition12:56 Mayor Kennedy Stewart Saturday night violent attack in Vancouver We heard throughout the show about a violent night downtown on the Granville Strip on Saturday. A man allegedly attacked four people with a machete. Police shot the suspect, who is hospitalized with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. For more on this, we reached out to Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart.
IIO investigating
Because police shot and wounded the suspect in Saturday’s attack, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) – which looks into police interactions where people are killed or seriously injured – will look into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Ron MacDonald, the head of the IIO, says this includes studying whether Ibrahim Abdela Bakhit struggled with mental health issues. “We will look at all the issues surrounding this individual’s background,” he told the CBC. “What may or may not have led him to this interaction with the police.” VPD says Bakhit will remain in custody until his next court appearance.
