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Man charged after knife slashing spree in Downtown Eastside

Police said four people were injured after allegedly unprovoked attacks
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The Vancouver Police say a man has been charged after an alleged series of unprovoked knife attacks on the Downtown Eastside, which left four people injured.

In a news release Saturday, police said Joshua David Mennear, 23, of Vancouver remains in custody and is facing four counts of aggravated assault in connection with four different knife attacks that all took place in the span of 30 minutes Friday night.

At around 8:20, police said officers were called to the area of East Hastings and Prince Avenue after a 50-year-old man was allegedly approached frfom behind and slashed across the neck. That man was treated for minor injuries.

Ten minutes later, a second attack happened, this time on a 56-year-old man just blocks awar near Keefer and Jackson Avenue. That man suffered minor stab wounds.

At 8:40 p.m., police said, a woman in her 80s was slashed across the neck, near Jackson and Union Street. The woman was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, police said.

The final assault was against a 24-year-old man at 8:50 p.m. along Keefer Street at Gore Avenue, police said, before the victim received facial injuries before fighting off the attacker who continued west towards Main Street.

Shortly after, Mennear was arrested.

Anyone who may have information about these crimes, and has not yet spoken with police, is asked to call VPD Major Crime detectives or Crime Stoppers.


@ashwadhwani
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca

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About the Author: Ashley Wadhwani-Smith

I began my journalistic journey at Black Press Media as a community reporter in my hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.
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