Man charged with stabbing VPD officers has 'significant' police history, authorities say

Vancouver -

The day after two Vancouver police officers were stabbed during a struggle in the city's Strathcona neighbourhood, prosecutors have approved several charges against a suspect.

The B.C. Prosecution Service said Jerald Jack Gates is charged with one count of unlawful confinement and two counts of aggravated assault of a peace officer.

Gates made his first appearance in provincial court on Tuesday, and is scheduled to return for a bail hearing Friday.

Police said they arrested a 59-year-old man on Monday morning after receiving a report that a toddler was being forcibly confined at a residential building near Keefer Street and Gore Avenue.

When police arrived at the scene, an altercation ensued that left three officers and a suspect injured.

Two of the officers were stabbed, including one who suffered serious injuries that left him in intensive care. Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer said he visited the officers in hospital shortly after the incident, and that they are all expected to fully recover.

Palmer released a statement hours after the incident applauding the officers involved for their conduct during a "dangerous and dynamic call" in which a toddler's safety was believed to be at risk.

"Our officers made split-second decisions to put themselves in harm's way to rescue the child," Palmer said in a statement hours after the dramatic confrontation.

"We now know that the suspect has a significant police history dating back several decades."

Police used a Taser on the suspect during the incident, and he was also taken to hospital for treatment. On Tuesday, B.C.'s police watchdog said the man's injuries did not meet the threshold for serious harm, which is required to trigger an automatic review of the officers' actions.

Authorities said the toddler was recovered safe and uninjured. The situation was reported to police by a relative of the child who called 911.