Suspect accused of random attacks in Vancouver had a history of court-ordered psychiatric care

Brendan Colin McBride, the man accused of killing one man and assaulting another in downtown Vancouver Wednesday, was identified by the courts as requiring counselling and forensic psychiatric services as part of a probation order in 2022.

The order was related to an assault conviction, according to court documents obtained by CTV News.

Court records also show McBride was convicted of another assault in 2023. The justice stayed his related charge of resisting or obstructing the local RCMP officer who tried to arrest him.

McBride is accused of killing a 70-year-old man Wednesday morning near Queen Elizabeth Theatre at West Georgia and Hamilton streets. He’s also alleged to have attacked another man earlier near Richards and Dunsmuir streets.

That victim, who police identified only as a man in his 50s, suffered a severed hand and knife wounds to his head. His hand was recovered from the scene and he was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment. Police say officers applied a tourniquet on scene.

Police confirmed the man received emergency surgery to re-attach his hand and that he’s “likely to have a long road to recovery – both physically and mentally,” according to Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison.

The 34-year-old from White Rock was arrested on Habitat Island, near Vancouver’s Olympic Village, when officers were called to reports that a man was behaving erratically in the area. McBride was on probation at the time of his arrest.

One mental health expert tells CTV News this case illustrates the need for stronger integration of health and justice systems.

“We clearly failed the individuals that were seriously harmed and lost their life this week,” said Keir Macdonald, CEO of Coast Mental Health. “We have to do better. We have to expect that our government has a range of policies and services to keep people safe when they’re out in the public.”

Premier David Eby addressed the need for an improved mental health system.

“We know that there’s a group of people who are out on the street who cannot look after themselves. They’re causing public safety concerns, broadly, just through how people feel about seeing someone in such distress through their communities, but also, in some cases, through violent attacks and that’s why we’re taking action,” he said.

Eby says he’s open to the return of involuntary mental health care, adding that the province’s chief scientific advisor for psychiatry, Dr. Daniel Vigo, is set to release his recommendations for an improved care system next week.

McBride was charged Thursday with one count of second-degree murder and one count of aggravated assault. He remains in police custody pending his next court appearance on Sept. 18.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Todd Coyne