A 25-year-old man has been arrested and detained after another man, 51, was stabbed repeatedly inside a McDonald's Restaurant on Johnston Road in Port Alberni this morning.
The victim was transported to West Coast General Hospital, then airlifted to Victoria General Hospital in serious but stable condition, according to Port Alberni RCMP Cpl. Amelia Hayden.
The suspect fled on foot following the stabbing at approximately 7:30 a.m., and was apprehended at an undisclosed location in Port Alberni at 9:30 a.m.
"We are still in the early stages of our investigation. At this time we do not know the motive for the attack or if the two men knew each other," Hayden said.
McDonald's Restaurant at 3355 Johnston Rd. was closed for a time as Port Alberni RCMP investigated the incident, but the restaurant has since reopened.
If anyone has information or witnessed this incident, they are asked to call the Port Alberni RCMP at 250-723-2424 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
The suspect will appear in court in Port Alberni on Wednesday (Nov. 2). RCMP did not clarify what charges they were forwarding to Crown Counsel.
Police on scene at 9:30 a.m. were not able to confirm social media reports that a stabbing had occurred, but said the public should not be concerned.
"There doesn't appear to be any danger to the public at this point," RCMP Sgt. George Jenkins said earlier in the morning.