'Serious assault' that involved a large sword sends 2 people to hospital: Vancouver police
Two people were taken to hospital Monday night over what Vancouver police are calling a "serious assault" that involved a large sword.
Police had the area of Oak Street near 12th Avenue blocked in the evening after the incident.
Vancouver police said they received "a number of 911 calls" at about 7:30 p.m. about an assault-in-progress Monday.
"It was reported to us that the assault involved somebody in possession of a large sword or a samurai sword," Sgt. Steve Addison said.
Addison said as officers were arriving, a 29-year-old suspect fled the building, adding that he was involved "in some sort of altercation" with someone inside the building. Addison said the individuals knew each other.
Witnesses told CTV News Vancouver they saw a man covered in blood run out of a building.
"There was a guy in the window saying, 'Somebody's been hit by a sword.' He came sort of charging at us, a few of us across the street standing there and we sort of scattered," said Nick Lakowski, who witnessed the incident.
"He jumped on a car and kind of shattered the windshield of that, rolled off and the police tried to take him down."
Addison said officers used a Taser while arresting the suspect, which he said was ineffective. Bean-bag rounds were also used during the arrest.
"Quite simply the reason for that is that it was the safest way to stop this man, to take him into custody, to prevent him from causing harm to himself, to prevent him from causing harm to anyone else," Addison explained.
Both the suspect and the 59-year-old victim were taken to hospital. The victim, who was mostly injured in his face and upper body, will likely survive, Addison said.
The suspect has more serious injuries, however, and the injuries may have been self-inflicted, Addison said.
An officer was also injured during the pursuit of the suspect, but those injuries are minor.
Police say they're still investigating what happened and have locked down the apartment building where the altercation happened.
No charges have been laid and while B.C.'s police watchdog was notified of the incident, the agency is not investigating.
The Independent Investigations Office said in a news release Tuesday afternoon that most of the injuries sustained by the two men "occurred prior to police attendance."
"They do not meet the IIO’s mandated threshold for serious harm as defined by the Police Act," a statement from the IIO said. "The IIO will therefore not launch an investigation."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.